Graduating From Reputable College Matter?

[kyoko]

It totally depends on what you are doing and where you plan on going.

For instance, if I plan on going to B-School and STAYING in NYC, then I would look at Baruch, NYU, Columbia. I would give Baruch serious consideration. It's a well known school in NYC, but probably not known else where. The University that you goto is mostly for networking.

I've been working for about 10 years and recently moved out to CN. I still meet people from my school out here so it's really easy to tap into the alumni network to get you going on your first job and your x-th job. I have yet to meet anyone out here that has come from any of the community or local colleges out here. The college name really helps when you move around as other people in the same school have probably already spread out there and established themselves.

[Cosmop]

Work for yourself. Become an entrepreneur and it doesn’t matter what school you went to. It’s really the only way to be 100% happy with your career.

[slo_guy]

I think it depends on the field that you're in. I graduated from UC San Diego, and alot of the guys I work with didn't actually go to better schools than that. Many of them are recognized by the developers of the engine that we work with.

[BayMoWe335]

Experience is king.

I laugh at the people saying, "If you don't do this, you won't get that." Whatever. Every situation is different.

Go to a decent school, get a decent degree, don't be an idiot, do good work, and you'll be fine.

[lib]

Originally Posted by hhkim

If there are 2 job candidates with identical resumes but one is from a top 25 school and the other is from a lesser known school, in almost all cases, the top 25 resume will be picked.

That being said, the level of education is probably similar but the extra in tuition that is being paid is for the brand recognition and I believe it puts you at a greater advantage than if you were from a less prestigious school.

At least, thats how I feel like I have been affected by attending college/applying for internships/getting a real job.

+1

In addition to what's outlined above, you also need to consider the broader networking opportunities at a more well known school. You'd be surprised where some of the people you meet there come from and where they end up.

Though, in the end, it's all up to you. With the exception of an extremely small number of "old boys' club" positions (US President, etc), there is nothing that requires a big name school. It's simply one more tool to open a few additional doors.

[vioaltec]

sadly yes, IVY leaque univeristies such as Standford, Harvard or YALE will open "SPECIAL" doors in life...............

[Ron1n]

I'm going to echo some parts of this thread, and disagree with others.

The college you went to, more often than not, will get your foot in the door. At that point, you can sell yourself (and the college adds weight to your credibility). Not only that, it can give you an instant pay increase right out of the shoots, putting you 2-3 years ahead of where you would have been otherwise. As was mentioned, this potentially could cost you more money in the short term, but it sets you up nicely in the long term.

However, work experience is not always king...it really depends on the field, and on the hiring individual.

Personally, I'll take someone who's had a ton of OJT over someone with a fresh degree and right out of school, but a lot of the old school people in the business sector don't believe that, because *they* went to school.

I'm 14 years out of college (BYU for my Bachelors), have my MBA (Marriott School of Business), centered in International Business with minors in Psychology and International law, with post grad studies at Harvard Law. I had a job lined up before I graduated, and it set me up for where I'm at now. I have no doubts my educational pedigree had (and has) everything to do with where I am in my life now.