Elite Universities and Their Cultural and Political Dominance ?

[Josquius]

I wish the Canadian universities had very selective entrance exams.  Then my degree would actually mean a little more than a piece of paper.  As it is, the employers turn to work experience for selection and graduates compete on who has the best internships, who knows the most relevant people etc. 

So in other words who comes from the 'best' background...

So often the way in the UK actually. Being from Oxbridge gives you a huge leg up over the rest as does being from a red brick over a poly.
Internships are a huge plus though, and they're downright impossible to get/do for common students.

[garbon]

So in other words who comes from the 'best' background...

I'm not sure I by that. My mother didn't come from a particularly good background...nor did she go to an undergraduate program that most people have heard of.

[Ideologue]

Stanford School of Truck Driving.

[Josquius]

So in other words who comes from the 'best' background...

I'm not sure I by that. My mother didn't come from a particularly good background...nor did she go to an undergraduate program that most people have heard of.

I guess though that was in the days before living costs in world cities became ridiculously over the top for normal people to think about affording them.

[garbon]

Stanford School of Truck Driving.

No that would have been a step up.

Jos, I'm not sure how that applies. My mother mostly lived in the burbs, although part of her schooling was in Los Angeles which to this day isn't too expensive for normal people to live in.

[Josquius]

Stanford School of Truck Driving.

No that would have been a step up.

Jos, I'm not sure how that applies. My mother mostly lived in the burbs, although part of her schooling was in Los Angeles which to this day isn't too expensive for normal people to live in.

I've no clue about how things were for her.

The way things are in the UK though getting a decent internship for a typical student is hard.
1: You have to get the internship in the first place. You have to have the right connections to be invited along. You have to be able to pop down to London (they are nearly always in London) on a whim. Its difficult.
2: You have to be able to survive in London without any income. An internship is an unpaid full time job. You need someone to support you or some savings or somesuch. Living there as a student even for just a summer is very difficult.
Its a big problem which really needs sorting.

[Jacob]

business elites - the folks that run the major business interests in the country;

What's the bottom tier of "major business interests"?

[CountDeMoney]

I don't get the part about cultural dominance.  How do graduates of elite universities dominate culturally?

Not too many late night comedy writers haven't graduated from the Ivy League.

[The Larch]

I don't get the part about cultural dominance.  How do graduates of elite universities dominate culturally?

Not too many late night comedy writers haven't graduated from the Ivy League.

[Valmy]

I don't get the part about cultural dominance.  How do graduates of elite universities dominate culturally?

The normal way one dominates culturally.  They hold (to a absurdly disproportionate degree) important jobs in the entertainment industry.

[crazy canuck]

What do you mean that Canada doesn't have a political elite like the UK or US?

Just what I said.  Why do you think we might?

[crazy canuck]

business elites - the folks that run the major business interests in the country;

What's the bottom tier of "major business interests"?

Software development companies. 

[Sheilbh]

Okay, in what ways does Canada not have a political elite? How doesn't Canada have a political elite? What's the differences that's led to that?

[crazy canuck]

and the fact that Canada has less global relevance, meaning fewer international applicants and thus less international prestige for our elite schools. 

It would be interesting to know as a percentage of overall school population or applications if this is actually true.  FYI a considerable number of students in Canadian universities are now foriegn students although I dont have the numbers at hand. 

[crazy canuck]

Okay, in what ways does Canada not have a political elite? How doesn't Canada have a political elite? What's the differences that's led to that?

First answer my question.  Why do you think Canada has a political elite similar to the UK and particularly the US.  In partial answer to your question look at the wealth of American politicians running for high office compared to that of Canadians running for similar offices.