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

would benefit from the prestige of the
university. She might have more
interesting and wealthier peers. The
connections she made at school and the
brand value of Brown on her diploma
might give her a leg up on the job
market. These are all classic Big Pond
advantages. Brown is the Salon.
But she would be taking a risk. She
would dramatically increase her chances
of dropping out of science entirely. How
large was that risk? According to
research done by Mitchell Chang of the
University of California, the likelihood
of someone completing a STEM degree
—all things being equal—rises by 2
percentage points for every 10-point