[hl0m4n]

does graduting from a reputable college matter? i simply see it just as a brand name. of course it matters, but does it really matter...

getting a job would be easier graduating from a reputable college but is there anything else to it? i just see it as the other guy having to work harder and starts lower then a person from a reputable college.

after working at the company for some time, what college you came from wouldn't matter imo and really depends on how you do. so after time since it's all about how you do the guy from the non rep college can excel ahead of the rep college dude no?

your thoughts?

im not talking about ivy rep colleges but just normal well known colleges like Pace, SUNY Albany, Manhattan, etc compared to a local 4 year private college or another private college with not a well known name, etc.

sorry if my wording is off it is 4am here and i need to go to sleep

[Comet]

many variables come into play.. perhaps the guy had the grades, but not the money...
but yes, I'd rather hire someone from Harvard than a guy from "North South Community College of Hicksville" u know?

and considering how hard it is for most people to find work, I could probably hire the harvard guy for the same pay.. so why not?

[mpimping]

nyu=now you're unemployed take a wild guess yes it matters and your grades and image

[SantaPimp27]

my friend goes to pace and no i dont think it matters much if you come out of that school or just some random one. pace is not a big name school. plus like three kids got shot or stabbed on campus last year so its not too safe lol.

big name schools only get you your first job. After that your on your own

[lucas.kent]

You'll probably have two responses here - people that went to less-than-recognizable schools saying no, and those that went to better known schools saying yes.

I think it's pretty much a wash in the end. In my opinion, it's what you do during your college life that is just as important as where you went (working, volunteering, school activities and leadership positions, and of course - grades and/or thesis). At the end of the day there are always going to be employers that look just for a certain kind of person from a top school; others are looking for just a certain type of person.

But of course this is all within moderation: College of Southern Maryland vs. Yale, we know who's going to win that battle, for example.

[TMNT]

College matters when your fresh out of college with no experience. However grades matter even more.

After 5 years of being in the workforce I don't think it matters much at all anymore as experience is what most employers care about at that point.

[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.

[Raja Ventureshield]

i think this is an open ended question. There really isn't any right or wrong answers.

The question will have different answers at different points.
example:
right out of collage vs. mid career vs. job field will make a huge difference.

For example, I work in Government sectors and there are a lot of people who has great jobs and pay becuase they were in the Military and have full scope top secret clearance. They will get picked up anyday over a top Ivy League school graduate with honors. The end requirement is different.

To answer your quetions, I would say that in your case it would matter to a certain degree. You are probably going to graduated or graduated already. If you were going up against someone from community college then you would get picked. Also, If I am doing the hiring, i will ask questions regarding attitute and aptitude. I would pick the right attitute over aptitude every time. You can have a smart person but if he doesn't apply himself and can't show that he's worth it, then he's worthless.

my 2 cents.

[Cosmop]

The school name and your GPA will only help you with your first job. After that is all about work experience. I know a lot of people (my sister is one of them) who went to a top tier school and is tied down with huge loans but only have a regular job. It's not worth it to me. Try to get out of school with as little debt as possible.

[SantaPimp27]

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.

he is right. another thing to weigh into the decision is tuition and your ability to pay it. my school is $53k a year, but it is also a top ten school. most top schools are around $50k. however, if your going to have to take out $200k in loans + possible grad school loans, it might not be worth it.

for example, the community college by me is $1500 a semester. you could go there for two years and as long as you have a 3.0, you can transfer to rutgers and pay no tuition. rutgers is a decent school and you get out with zero loans. its a pretty good deal for people who cannot afford private school.

you might not make as much money your first couple years, but as long as you are a good worker eventually you can make a good salary.

[kyleb350]

Of course it does! If it didn't matter, no one would spend the extra money and work harder to get into those schools.

What school you went to is only one factor of getting a job however.

[Hawkeye]

It doesn't really matter for a lot of fields of work, but it does for some as well. I hear a lot of finance and investment type jobs will put a big emphasis on school name. On the other hand computer science, accounting, teaching, etc. do nto generally put much emphasis on school and put more emphasis on the person themselves as well as their achievements to date (extra curricular activities, volunteering, internships, etc.)

I preselect and interview people for my area of expertise in my company so I have a little idea of what I am talking about.

[ragingclue]

I'm sure the answers vary according to the field you're looking to get into.

Engineering matters to get your foot in the door if you haven't already had several great co-ops or internships. Then again, there's a reason why they do interviews. If you're a schmuck but you went to MIT or CalTech, and you mess up your interview, it doesn't matter. If a guy from DeVry walks in and wows them with his knowledge, motivation, and people skills, then he might get the job if he seems more competent in his applicable knowledge and skills.

I've been told that after 5 solid years in the field, no one gives a shit about the University. I'm sure this doesn't always apply, but I can see how that would matter. I don't remember shit from the first couple years at U of M over a decade ago; schooling just gets you ready for the field; it gives you the tools to make a career. Once you're in it, future employers are going to be more interested in seeing what you're actually capable of, rather than how difficult your school curriculum was.

Again, everything I've written is based on personal experience and feedback from people in the field (EE and CPE). I have no idea how it is in other fields, and of course nothing is ever 100% applicable.

[Comet]

and what matters is even more is if you have the connections.
I'll hire someone who is recommended to me by someone I trust then some joe that walks into an interview.

example when I was hiring an IT guy:
Put out an add and got a bunch of CVs right? One of the CVs the guy worked free lance for a few months for a friend. I called that friend up and he told me the applicant is amazing (hard working, worked over time for free, etc...) from his experiences with him and that I should hire him.
I hired him and I don't regret that decision

[RambleJ]

Originally Posted by TMNT

After 5 years of being in the workforce I don't think it matters much at all anymore as experience is what most employers care about at that point.

+1 to this, most employers look for experience.

[ptack]

In any college you get out what you put in. The greatest advantage schools like Yale and Harvard have is that they offer world class opportunities in so many fields. It only matters in 2 senses - 1) they are incredibly difficult to gain admittance to so many employers know that these schools have essentially pre-screened a pool of potential high quality employees; 2) those who do well and take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by these schools will often become people of consiquence later in life. This said, an alma mater is just a label, so any good employer might give such resumes a careful look, but they fully know there are a dozen other factors far more important in determining whether an applicant would be a good fit. If you're only worried about finding A job after college, things like interviewing skills and experience can count more than anything else.

[Trauma Junkie]

Depends on the job.career field IMO

[dth656]

the other thing to note about a more reputable school is access to the alumni network. i.e., even after your first job, it can at least get your foot in the door (i.e. get you past the resume screen), at which point, its up to you.

as an example, for every job that i've gotten since undergrad, my alumni network from either undergrad or graduate school has played some role in it (at least passing my resume to someone, or giving me a heads up about an upcoming opportunity).

[SantaPimp27]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

It doesn't really matter for a lot of fields of work, but it does for some as well. I hear a lot of finance and investment type jobs will put a big emphasis on school name. On the other hand computer science, accounting, teaching, etc. do nto generally put much emphasis on school and put more emphasis on the person themselves as well as their achievements to date (extra curricular activities, volunteering, internships, etc.)

I preselect and interview people for my area of expertise in my company so I have a little idea of what I am talking about.

tell that to the kids at my school. they work their asses off and they get some sick jobs in the computer science fields. i dont think i would last a day doing the shit they do haha. i mean bill gates donated a building here which is real nice and he visits sometimes.

i would say for your first job your school is pretty important no matter the field your entering. i mean employers dont know you yet so they need to judge you with something

[E92-Lighting]

once you get a real job, it doesnt matter which school you went to

[TTexan]

Work ethic and exceptional interpersonal communication skills (along with work experience) will get you much further. I went to a great school, but you still have to differentiate yourself. Granted, if you are applying to be a mime, non-verbal skills would be much better to have in your arsenal.

[BMW F22]

It does matter but it could be both bad and good. But first let me say that it depends on the area where you apply. For example, if you're in the Silicon Valley a degree from SJSU is perfectly fine. In fact, a lot of people would be happy to hire you.

Back to my original point, people might look at a degree from Harvard and go "wow we need to hire this guy right away" and all is good and gravy. I mean let's face it, a degree from an Ivy League college would put precedence over lesser ones. On the other hand, they might look at that same degree and think that you're overqualified or that they would have to pay you so much more. I'm sure some will disagree with me on that point but if you look at the average salaries of top colleges compared to others, you would notice that colleges such as Stanford, Harvard and Wharton have higher average wages right out of school.

In the end though, that degree will be worth more. IMO it's worth it but you'd have to weigh the advantages. For example, if you're going to be making $5k more a year with a Harvard degree but have to pay $30k more a year in tuition, it's gonna be a long time before you break even.