With Wall Street in economic disarray, landing a six-figure job is becoming nigh impossible – even for graduates of the Ivy League.

However, rather than shame themselves and their families by remaining gainfully unemployed, Columbia graduates are waiting out the Recession under the false pretenses of altruism.

As Gawker succinctly put it, “It's amazing how altruistic the unemployed can get!”

The Columbia Spectator reports:

Prompted by inequalities in American society—or sensing that the economic crisis limits their short-term career opportunities—young people are applying in force to such organizations as Teach for America.

[…] But not all of TFA’s recent candidates are motivated purely by altruism. With many top firms in jeopardy, Columbia students who in other years would have landed prestigious internships or six-figure jobs are simply out of options.

An Ivy Leaguer with less than sincere motives? I, for one, am shocked.

Of course, this phenomenon isn’t exclusive to Columbians, Whartonites or other Ivy League alumni. Recent graduates from NYU Stern and other similar institutions around the country are feeling the same pressure to find something to do with themselves and their temporarily worthless degrees.

But, it’s just funnier to attribute it exclusively to the snobs of the Ivy League who have already squandered a small fortune educating themselves – for nothing.