Ron Unz's article on elite college admissions reminds me that they seem to be doing something right in terms of polishing up their brand names, which have never been glossier. For example, consider the Harvard or Yale degrees of the Presidential nominees of the two parties since 1900. 

From 1900 through 1984, I count 9 Harvard or Yale degrees  for 44 nominees, or 0.20 per candidate (and 5 of the 9 are members of the Roosevelt family).

From 1988 through 2012, I count 15 Harvard or Yale degrees for 14 nominees, or 1.07 per candidate. That's a lot! 

1900: 0

1904: 1 (TR Harvard BA)

1908: 1 (Taft Yale BA)

1912: 1 (Taft, not counting TR's 3rd party run)

1916: 0

1920: 0

1924: 0

1928: 0 (Al Smith never went to high school)

1932: 1 (FDR Harvard BA)

1936: 1 (FDR Harvard BA)

1940: 1 (FDR Harvard BA)

1944: 1 (FDR Harvard BA)

1948: 0

1952: 0 (Stevenson dropped out of HLS)

1956: 0 

1960: 1 (JFK Harvard BA)

1964: 0

1968: 0
1972: 0

1976: 1 (Ford YLS)

1980: 0

1984: 0

1988: 2 (Bush Y BA, Dukakis HLS)

1992: 2 (Bush Y BA, Clinton YLS)

1996: 1 (Clinton YLS)

2000: 3 (Gore H BA, Bush Y BA HBS)

2004: 3 (Bush Y BA HBS, Kerry Y BA)

2008: 1 (Obama HLS)

2012: 3 (Obama HLS, Romney HBS HLS)