Harvard students are primarily interested in companies with reputable names? What a shocker.

Students who go to a selective school, often want to go to selective companies and continue to build their “brand” to maximize their success (or at least optionality).

It’s usually later on when people figure out what’s important to them and are confident enough to stray for the default path. For example, my current company is a well known one, but isn’t FANG. I chose there because I use / care about the product, and the culture is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. It’s growing, I’m paid well, and I’m relatively happy. I don’t feel the urge anymore to work for the hottest companies or what not.