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Suppose I got a Masters Degree in the engineering field that I chose. Would it look bad when I apply for a job if I went to a no-name university?

By Macadamiamin (Macadamiamin) on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 07:50 pm: Edit

Consider this. One guy applies with a degree from MIT and the other, Whatever State University. Of course this is not the only aspect the interviewers would look at, but if you did not stand out some other way, then you've lost a small edge.

By Dogs (Dogs) on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 08:46 pm: Edit

Depends. Its likely the person interviewing you, HR Manager say, dose not have a prestigious degree--so maybe its a negative if you do, in their eyes. Unless you are in a highly selective field in the sciences, academia, etc. it can actually work against you. I work for a Fortune 100 co that is alawys rated in the top list of places grads want to work. Most VPs are actually from state schools and are making 200K.

By Bevie (Bevie) on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 05:55 pm: Edit

If it means you have to go heavily into debt to go to prestigious school, then it might not be worth it; you have to weigh the odds. Also if you get great grades and possibly awards at no-name and bring that out in resume, they might be impressed.

By Windslicer_Ib (Windslicer_Ib) on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 09:05 pm: Edit

Yes and it also shows that you can flourish in an environment where others are not (i.e. more chances to skip classes and get worse grades.)

By Confusedjunior (Confusedjunior) on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 10:05 pm: Edit

prestige matters only for your first job. When you come out of college looking for a job, the employer is gonna ask, probably out of curiosity, "Where'd you go?".... MIT vs no-name community college, MIT wins. however, if you work hard, and prove yourself, 2-5 years later, you might have the experience to get a much better position.

By Jason817 (Jason817) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 01:23 am: Edit

my dad told me that they dont ask for your college GPA when applying for jobs. So all there's left to see is the prestige, eh?

By Dogs (Dogs) on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 09:19 pm: Edit

Prestige is in the eye of the beholder---if the person doing the hiring is like 99% of human beings with a college degree, meaning didn't attend Prestige U, then your pretigious degree may make them view you as a nerdy, rich, prestige hound who thinks you are better than them. I know this sounds cynical but think about it. If you are the hiring manager or Personell Dept how comfortable are you having some one report to you that went to a more prestigious school? Research does not demonstrate any correlation with college type and personal or financial success. I say go to a school to learn (what a concept!!!) and discover your self.Have fun, enjoy the experience, you'll have plenty of cecades ahead to participate in the rat race if you so choose.

By Barrons (Barrons) on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 11:06 pm: Edit

Jason, your dad is dead wrong. GPA is very important. Some places also ask for your SAT scores. Common in investments areas.

By Stanfordrulez (Stanfordrulez) on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 02:43 am: Edit

Umm.
I know for a fact that certain firms go directly to only a few top schools to hire kids-- an example is Goldman Sachs. I mean, a friend at GS, told me that they only hire from like three-four universities directly [I've forgotten the schools].

By Savedbythebell7 (Savedbythebell7) on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 07:13 am: Edit

Are we talking about the LONG RUN here, or the short run? cause it seems like you've changed the original topic, to "Does the prestige of a college matter in the short term"

Short term = getting a good job

By Savedbythebell7 (Savedbythebell7) on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 07:14 am: Edit

Jason your dad isn't dead wrong, they usually only ask for a GPA if it was above a 3.5. SAT scores??? wow, I think NOT.

By Dix (Dix) on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 11:50 pm: Edit

Work experience/internship in your field combined with a degree at "No Name U" will get you the job.

By Jnatkins (Jnatkins) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 12:06 am: Edit

Undergrad names really dont' matter that much...Grad school is where the name is gonna count.

By Musefinity (Musefinity) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 12:15 am: Edit

No, not in most fields. Yes, a hell of a lot in some fields (i.e., law). I think it's more of a grad school thing, though.

Just my thoughts.