Improving your chances at making a decent living is not the same as striving to become part of the power apparatus, despite the fact that both need money.

Why do you think an elite university would give you a greater chance of improvement than a community college?

Well, mainly because employers are more likely to hire a candidate from Harvard than they are from East Mississippi Community College.

Exactly: access to networks of power.

At the risk of repeating myself: wanting to improve your chances at making a decent living (i.e. being hired, having a place to live, etc.) is not the same as striving to become part of the power apparatus, despite the fact that both benefit from networking.

You are right of course: accessing and leveraging networks of power is not striving to become part of the power apparatus.

It is de facto evidence of being a part of the power apparatus, regardless of your intent in using it.

First you make the money to buy cool stuff, then you use your power to protect your money to continue buying stuff. Welcome to the power apparatus.

If your definition of striving to be a part of the power apparatus is simply using money, then sure, I stand corrected.