McLain, who was instrumental in the IOP's voter registration efforts and was involved in the Harvard College Democrats in addition to heading up SAC, says that "I definitely see myself getting into politics later in life" despite his move into the private sector.

For McLain, a native of New Orleans, La., being in the South was a major incentive. Not only is his family in the region, but he says he's interested in staying in touch with the developments of the New South--whether or not he eventually runs for office.

"There's a new interest in going into local politics. One of the things that I'm going to do next year is some volunteering," McLain says.

Greased Paths

Sometimes, though, you have to wonder.

Is everyone who is drawing an exorbitant salary in New York really thinking about the useful experience that they can turn towards running a non-profit or directing the State Department?

Every student knows someone embarking on a lucrative career in banking or consulting who is graduating without a dime in debt. Money, more than ever, is a sign of prestige--especially in the so-called high-tech economy.

Students talk in incredulous but admiring whispers about the senior whose parents are paying for her apartment in New York despite her consultant's salary, or the computer science concentrator to whom Trilogy--an Austin, Texas-based e-commerce firm--offered a cool $200,000 plus benefits.