Name and reputation

My friends and I always ask each other, is it worth the high tuition fee to attend the 'most influential art school in the United States' — School of the Art Institute of Chicago (which always gets mixed up with the Art Institutes)? How is our school different from other design institutions?

From a job-seeking point of view, I think it is worth it. Recruiters in general prefer candidates who went to Ivy League school than those who attended community college, especially in Hong Kong where I come from. Most people are overly-realistic and it's all about your education, the degree you hold, your résumé, and which school you went to. Many prefer students who studied overseas and can speak fluent English. Even with parents, teachers and family friends, it is as though you have to go to a renowned school or else it's not considered a real education. SAIC is constantly ranked Top 3 in the graduate program, which helps build reputation for the school in general (which includes undergrad), which I suppose is an advantage for me.

But does attending a good school mean that you are better than others? I don't think so, and I think it really varies with individuals. Some people graduate from our school without giving a shit about anything, and just slides through the four-year degree program with the CNC grading system. But just because they went to a more well-known school, people see higher of them. It's all about the name and reputation, or is it?