I’m not sure how similar or dissimilar the Taiwan case is, but in Brazil I’ve seen people discussing (and acting) on strategies like this, and in almost every case going to top-tier Brazilian schools with better launchpads (e.g. professors having stronger connections abroad; more like-minded peers; exchange programs) seems to have paid off better than going to mid-tier schools, even when accounting for the much more rigid grading at the top-tier ones or that’s harder to get a top-tier class rank, or for how much harder it is to achieve a top class rank there
I’m not sure how similar or dissimilar the Taiwan case is, but in Brazil I’ve seen people discussing (and acting) on strategies like this, and in almost every case going to top-tier Brazilian schools with better launchpads (e.g. professors having stronger connections abroad; more like-minded peers; exchange programs) seems to have paid off better than going to mid-tier schools, even when accounting for the much more rigid grading at the top-tier ones or that’s harder to get a top-tier class rank, or for how much harder it is to achieve a top class rank there