I thought the article was very well written. A nice perspective interwined with a good blend of humor.
I find myself in agreement with most of what Rashmi says. There is no doubt that studying in IIT is an experience that probably has little parallels in India (speaking from personal experience), but it is also true that not every IITian is as "smart and creative" as the world thinks he is. There are ofcourse exceptions, but the majority, including myself, I consider are just average Joes who cleared that exam that day. But what IIT teaches you more than anything else is the "self-confidence" that anything is possible. Once you have that, even if you are an average Joe, you are likely to succeed more than anyone who lacks that confidence. Other schools dont teach that.
I would admit that I have come across many non-IITs during my doctoral work and subsequent MBA (Wharton) who I think were better than many of my classmates back in IIT, which only goes to show that the other non-IIT schools are equally good, if not better. So what matters in the end is the "individual" and not just the institution brand. We do find lotuses in the murkiest of water, so smart people are everywhere.
