David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Columbia2.901.150.620.340.170.100.06

Stanford 3.431.581.020.670.500.330.23

Chicago 2.881.711.040.720.510.330.19

I realize that this is a lot of numbers. But
just look at the left-hand side—the
students who finish in the 99th percentile
of their class. To publish three or four
papers in the most prestigious journals at
the beginning of your career is quite an
accomplishment. These people are
really good. That much makes sense. To
be the top economics graduate student at
MIT or Stanford is an extraordinary
achievement.
But then the puzzles start. Look at the
80th percentile column. Schools like
MIT and Stanford and Harvard accept