Not necessarily.
Many talented students can't afford or avoid debt in elite universities.
At the same time, less competitive students may get accepted because of donations/connections/preparatory schools.
Many talented students can't afford or avoid debt in elite universities.
At the same time, less competitive students may get accepted because of donations/connections/preparatory schools.
That means their family is rich and/or has powerful connections. Thus they will be more likely to succeed after graduation.
That's actually very very rare. Elite universities will give grants which cover the vast majority of costs for low-income students.
There's a reason the average indebtedness at graduation for Ivies is only a few thousand dollars (and that's not even including the majority who have no debt).