The Bachelor has seen an impressive roster of leading men throughout the show's many seasons, including a millionaire winemaker (Andrew Firestone), a professional race car driver (Arie Luyendyk, Jr.), and even the son of a prince (Lorenzo Borghese), according to Insider. However, few of the men have had the academic pedigree of the first Bachelor.

According to Daily Beast, Alex Michel was an honors grad from Harvard with an MBA from Stanford. His resume included being student body president, high school valedictorian, and stints at the president's Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. 

Mike Fleiss, creator of The Bachelor, explained Alex's appeal to The Cut – saying that executive Andrea Wong, then head of international TV at Sony, was impressed by his CV. "Andrea Wong is a brilliant woman, and in her mind's eye, the most eligible man in America, the most desirable single man — marriage material — should be a highly educated guy," said Fleiss. He continued, saying, "So that's how he got the job over guys that I think were probably more like the guys we cast now."