Does it matter where you go to school?

 

As in going to a state school you can afford or going to a more elite private school and going in debt?

Some employers will stereotype based on what school you came from and their past experience with people who were in the same program as you. I literally heard an architect say one time "students from _______ are worthless". I don't want to name schools lol! School rankings are overrated though. Just weigh the pros and cons of each and use your own judgement. Try to gain as many skills as possible and meet as many important people as possible by going to conventions and interning! Put yourself out there.

Some employers will stereotype based on what school you came from and their past experience with people who were in the same program as you. I literally heard an architect say one time "students from _______ are worthless". I don't want to name schools lol! School rankings are overrated though. Just weigh the pros and cons of each and use your own judgement. Try to gain as many skills as possible and meet as many important people as possible by going to conventions and interning! Put yourself out there.

 

LOL I've heard that type of stuff too......although of course a very narrow example, but a true one at times.  On the other hand comparing different types of colleges and universities is a level playing field.  I don't think any employer will discriminate.  I feel I know people from all levels of types of schools that secured good careers in different types of places.  It's really about what you can prove on a resume and what experience you accumulate with internships, past jobs etc.

 

I think you have to be set on what you are going to do in life if you choose a private school with just a few programs.  Seems like state schools tend to offer more programs that allow you to make adjustments if you don't feel like you are on the right path.

One firm I worked at had a wide variety of interns and new hires. Another place I worked had a love affair with UPenn, even though I thought all the interns they brought in from there were pretty useless academics.

 

My opinion might be a bit jaded, but I have found in my limited experience that unless a program is very well known as being a knock-out, like Architecture at Cincinnati, or Landscape Architecture at Purdue, most managers will idolize private and ivy leauge grads because it looks good on paper and sounds good dropping fancy names at a luncheon.

You don't mention what sort of program you're interested in pursuing, so it's hard to offer advice for your specific situation. But I'm in the architecture business, and this question comes up all the time on architecture-related discussion forums.

 

A couple things to consider:

 

1) Public school doesn't always mean sub-par quality. In architecture degree programs, public programs like Cincinnati, OSU, and Michigan easily hold their own against Harvard, Yale, and Columbia.

 

2) In some cases, the private school may be the cheapest option. In-state tuition at a public college is probably the best deal you'll find, but the costs of non-resident tuition at a public college start to approach those of private schools. Also, many private colleges have large endowments that allow them to give out generous scholarships. In graduate architecture programs, Princeton is known for giving pretty much a free ride to anybody who gets accepted to their program. So, in come cases the expensive Ivy League school may actually be your cheapest option.

 

3) Don't forget to factor in cost of living expenses. I live in New York City, and as a New York resident, I can go to City College and pay peanuts for tuition. But when the cost of living is factored in, the University of Cincinnati comes out to be the less expensive option for me even though I'd be paying non-resident tuition for my first year.

 

4) In some states, you're allowed to qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges after your first year if you're coming in from out of state (Ohio is one such state). In other states, you're stuck paying nonresident tuition for your entire degree program. Look into it, as it could make a big difference in your overall cost of attendance.

 

In the architecture business, nobody really gives a rat's ass where you got your degree as long as you're good at what you do, but in this economy, having Harvard's alumni network (to name one example) at your disposal certainly wouldn't hurt. But any boss that hires only ______ grads is a boss I'd avoid like the plague.

 

My advice: Apply to about half a dozen schools. Two of those schools should be your "dream" schools, where you'd go if cost is no object. Two of those schools should be "safety" schools where you know you'll have a decent chance of being accepted and being able to pay tuition even if you don't get any scholarships. The other two should be somewhere in between those extremes. When you get your letters of admission and scholarship awards in the spring, you'll be in a much better position to decide where you want to go.

 

Quick version: if you want to go into a field where letters after your name mean something, then the school name matters absolutely (PhD, JD, MD, Architecture, et al), but if that isn't the focal point of the profession then it doesn't matter as long as it is generally considered a 'decent' school - I'd say most state schools in Ohio are decent - some better than others. If you decide to go state look for the Honors program - it can make a state school experience into something you'd pay a lot more money for and you will probably have better profs than a mid-level private school.

I'm planning on going to college for business and finance.

^I tend to disagree a bit on the law and medicine fields - I have no idea where my attorney got his degree, or for that matter my accountant (I think Kent State?), or the pharmacist at my local CVS.  In terms of medicine, I have a friend who's an interventional cardiologist at CCF and he graduated from Wright State med school.  If someone wants to be a corporate lawyer, an academic, or a medical researcher, an elite education is more of a benefit.  I don't think the any benefits from a private education for the average doctor, accountant, or attorney outweight the staggering costs (and subsequent debt burden) of some private schools. 

 

(...spoken as a Toledo and OSU grad)

I once worked in a company with a guy who went to Brown who seemed barely literate. I have met Harvard graduates who, while bright, didn't seem any more capable or intelligent than many people from "lesser" schools. Scholastic achievement does not translate into problem-solving, creativity, hard work or any of the other qualities employers purportedly are always looking for in prospective employees. Unfortunately this kind of elitist credentialism is only important to lazy human resources "executives" (and when was the last time you had any respect for one of them?) acting as corporate shills for companies run by the same sort of mediocrities who hired them in the first place. And we wonder why America is falling behind.

Consumers may not care where their service providers received their degrees, but law firms care deeply. Medicine is way more complicated because of the supply/demand issues. There are fantastic quality grads of bad schools and bad grads of great schools, but overall the reason good schools get a good name is that the balance is weighted toward producing good grads. The other issue to consider is where you want to work. If you want to stay in Ohio, getting educated in Ohio is just fine. If you want to live in another region it would probably behoove you to go to college in that region - not that you can't get a job from an Ohio school, but you won't be as tied into local job networks. And networking is a big part of why one would choose a certain level of school.

^I tend to disagree a bit on the law and medicine fields - I have no idea where my attorney got his degree, or for that matter my accountant (I think Kent State?), or the pharmacist at my local CVS.  In terms of medicine, I have a friend who's an interventional cardiologist at CCF and he graduated from Wright State med school.  If someone wants to be a corporate lawyer, an academic, or a medical researcher, an elite education is more of a benefit.  I don't think the any benefits from a private education for the average doctor, accountant, or attorney outweight the staggering costs (and subsequent debt burden) of some private schools. 

 

(...spoken as a Toledo and OSU grad)

 

I agree if I see a resume with Harvard or CWRU on it I pass.  I will only look at a CWRU resume if they have an eastside zip so I can find out what family they are from.  Harvard grads and Harvard Club members in NY are very active.  Now that Obama is president they are all over networking.

I'm planning on going to college for business and finance.

 

 

http://www.fsb.muohio.edu/rankings/undergrad

Consumers may not care where their service providers received their degrees, but law firms care deeply. Medicine is way more complicated because of the supply/demand issues. There are fantastic quality grads of bad schools and bad grads of great schools, but overall the reason good schools get a good name is that the balance is weighted toward producing good grads. The other issue to consider is where you want to work. If you want to stay in Ohio, getting educated in Ohio is just fine. If you want to live in another region it would probably behoove you to go to college in that region - not that you can't get a job from an Ohio school, but you won't be as tied into local job networks. And networking is a big part of why one would choose a certain level of school.

 

I plan on moving out of Ohio, and would love to go out of state for school. Its sooo dam expensive though. It is really unfortunate.

 

& thank you, Ink.

Then you've probably gotta focus on the better state schools (OSU, Miami, maybe OU or UC).

good news is mostly it doesnt, but not always. it depends where you want to work. for example, it does matter if you work at google. they only hire from a certain set of colleges, ivy league, stanford and the like. there is actually an unofficial list, others need not apply. otherwise, outside of a few elitist businesses like that or places needing certain specialized grad programs nobody really cares what "state u" or private school you went to.

 

 

most managers will idolize private ivy leauge grads because it looks good on paper and sounds good dropping fancy names at a luncheon.

 

 

yeah and there is a much more insidious side to that -- ivys hiring ivys keeps money in the hands of money. certain ivy run big businesses cater to those schools ie., financials, because that way the loot mostly stays with the rich.

 

i dont want to scare anyone unduly tho, outside of that kind of thankfully limited stuff your major, degree(s), experiences and most of all your personality and interviewing skills are more important to most people.

 

good news is mostly it doesnt, but not always. it depends where you want to work. for example, it does matter if you work at google. they only hire from a certain set of colleges, ivy league, stanford and the like. there is actually an unofficial list, others need not apply. otherwise, outside of a few elitist businesses like that or places needing certain specialized grad programs nobody really cares what "state u" or private school you went to.

 

 

most managers will idolize private ivy leauge grads because it looks good on paper and sounds good dropping fancy names at a luncheon.

 

 

yeah and there is a much more insidious side to that -- ivys hiring ivys keeps money in the hands of money. certain ivy run big businesses cater to those schools ie., financials, because that way the loot mostly stays with the rich.

 

i dont want to scare anyone unduly tho, outside of that kind of thankfully limited stuff your major, degree(s), experiences and most of all your personality and interviewing skills are more important to most people.

 

 

That not true, I know people at google who attended other schools.  Like Pittsburgh, Temple, Miami (oh)

There's already some good advice on the board. A business / finance major is fairly broad, and depending on what you want to do after you graduate will have a large bearing on how important your school is. I'm in commercial banking, and for the most part, the local banks will recruit from local schools for their 'associate' programs (i.e. the rotation positions). That's not to say they don't like the ivy's and those with sexier programs, but they recognize that a lot of what you do in banking is learned through these rotations.

 

If you want to go into investment banking, or work on the coasts, my own experience tells me that the school matters. I know a number of people that are, or have worked, with some of the bigger banks in NYC and they tell me that there is a strong pre-disposition to the ivies, only because of name recognition. Most of the people they hire out of undergrad will only stay for a couple years and then go back for graduate degrees. The hiring managers in many instances are from those same schools, and there's a lot of nepotism. That's on the coasts, though.

 

My brother in law graduated with a JD/ MBA from case, and he ended up landing a job in NY, but it took a lot of effort. On the other hand, midwest firms (Chicago, etc.) were falling over themselves to lure him.

 

In corporate finance, I think grades / work experience (internships, etc.) matter as much, if not more than the school you come from. Again, they recruit heavily from the ivy / tier 1 schools, but they're smart enough to know that it can be beneficial to recruit from a wide variety of schools. If you have the grades / experience, they'll interview with you.

 

Of course, this is all presuming the job market opens up. Right now, nobody is really recruiting anywhere. But if you're just going into school, you have some time to ride that out.

I'd say that it depends on the program that you're looking to go into.

 

Some tier 4 schools have programs that are better than those available at tier 1 schools.

 

It also doesn't really matter that much in professions with accreditation...like law, medicine, accounting, etc...if you can pass those exams and get through it you can get a job.  Maybe you're not going to end up being the guy making $250,000 with a company car the first week out of school, but you'll be working.

 

Of course, those career paths require advanced degrees (well, not accounting...but many accountants do get masters).

 

I'd look into the program that you're interested in and try to figure out exactly how dedicated to that field you really are...a lot of people change their majors at some point.

 

Also, don't worry as much about "worthless degrees" as a lot of people tell you...liberal arts degrees are worth it and you can find employment even if you graduate with a "worthless theatre degree"

Also, don't worry as much about "worthless degrees" as a lot of people tell you...liberal arts degrees are worth it and you can find employment even if you graduate with a "worthless theatre degree"

 

This is actually true.  As a holder of a "worthless theatre degree" I can tell you of at least 2 instances where, after the hiring process was complete, I was told that the job was between me and an equally qualified candidate, and the reason they picked me was because of the degree. Even though my degree has NOTHING to do with any job I have held, it at least edged me out among competition for the office jobs I've held.  The only place it was a real detriment was in LA - I had been applying to jobs I was well qualified for over a period of several months with nary a nibble.  Finally a headhunter told me to take off the "theater" and just put "B.A." and if they asked, lie and say it was in English or something.  I did, and immediately started getting interviews and ended up having my pick from several great jobs. 

Also, don't worry as much about "worthless degrees" as a lot of people tell you...liberal arts degrees are worth it and you can find employment even if you graduate with a "worthless theatre degree"

 

This is actually true.  As a holder of a "worthless theatre degree" I can tell you of at least 2 instances where, after the hiring process was complete, I was told that the job was between me and an equally qualified candidate, and the reason they picked me was because of the degree. Even though my degree has NOTHING to do with any job I have held, it at least edged me out among competition for the office jobs I've held.  The only place it was a real detriment was in LA - I had been applying to jobs I was well qualified for over a period of several months with nary a nibble.  Finally a headhunter told me to take off the "theater" and just put "B.A." and if they asked, lie and say it was in English or something.  I did, and immediately started getting interviews and ended up having my pick from several great jobs. 

 

True.  When I came to NYC, my first job was in Music Entertainment.  I didn't know a damn thing about music.

Schools are brands. The key is to figure out which brands have reach outside the state. In Ohio - only two reliably, OSU and Miami with UC coming in a distant 3rd that is complicated by half the country thinking you are referring to one of the California top tier public schools - Berkeley, Davis et al or the University of Chicago. I'd say go the most selective college that you can get into and afford and that won't make you miserable and you should be in good shape and then don't be a total screw-off in college who alienates your fellow students and the faculty.

Schools are brands. The key is to figure out which brands have reach outside the state. In Ohio - only two reliably, OSU and Miami with UC coming in a distant 3rd that is complicated by half the country thinking you are referring to one of the California top tier public schools - Berkeley, Davis et al or the University of Chicago. I'd say go the most selective college that you can get into and afford and that won't make you miserable and you should be in good shape and then don't be a total screw-off in college who alienates your fellow students and the faculty.

 

I think it all comes down to networking and mentoring.

 

I plan on moving out of Ohio, and would love to go out of state for school. Its sooo dam expensive though. It is really unfortunate.

 

 

I went out of state my first year of college and ended up transferring back home after the first year and graduated from Cleveland State. From my personal experience, I'd recommend taking your general education classes locally, and then transfering out of state once you finish your first two years and start taking classes that directly relate to your major. It'd be a lot cheaper to take your sciences, history's, english and other gen eds at an in-state price. While i enjoyed my time at cleveland state, looking back on it i think i would have been better off moving to arizona at the age of 20 instead of 18 and right out of high school.

good news is mostly it doesnt, but not always. it depends where you want to work. for example, it does matter if you work at google. they only hire from a certain set of colleges, ivy league, stanford and the like. there is actually an unofficial list, others need not apply. otherwise, outside of a few elitist businesses like that or places needing certain specialized grad programs nobody really cares what "state u" or private school you went to.

 

 

most managers will idolize private ivy leauge grads because it looks good on paper and sounds good dropping fancy names at a luncheon.

 

 

yeah and there is a much more insidious side to that -- ivys hiring ivys keeps money in the hands of money. certain ivy run big businesses cater to those schools ie., financials, because that way the loot mostly stays with the rich.

 

i dont want to scare anyone unduly tho, outside of that kind of thankfully limited stuff your major, degree(s), experiences and most of all your personality and interviewing skills are more important to most people.

 

 

That not true, I know people at google who attended other schools.  Like Pittsburgh, Temple, Miami (oh)

 

whats not true? google? it certainly is true for new hires, well unless they are tech of course. anyway thats not the point which is that sometimes certain businesses cater to hires with certain college backgrounds, but thankfully its not really widespread.

 

I've been told several times over the years by HR people that they are far more concerned with your GPA than where you went to school.

good news is mostly it doesnt, but not always. it depends where you want to work. for example, it does matter if you work at google. they only hire from a certain set of colleges, ivy league, stanford and the like. there is actually an unofficial list, others need not apply. otherwise, outside of a few elitist businesses like that or places needing certain specialized grad programs nobody really cares what "state u" or private school you went to.

 

 

most managers will idolize private ivy leauge grads because it looks good on paper and sounds good dropping fancy names at a luncheon.

 

 

yeah and there is a much more insidious side to that -- ivys hiring ivys keeps money in the hands of money. certain ivy run big businesses cater to those schools ie., financials, because that way the loot mostly stays with the rich.

 

i dont want to scare anyone unduly tho, outside of that kind of thankfully limited stuff your major, degree(s), experiences and most of all your personality and interviewing skills are more important to most people.

 

 

That not true, I know people at google who attended other schools.  Like Pittsburgh, Temple, Miami (oh)

 

whats not true? google? it certainly is true for new hires, well unless they are tech of course. anyway thats not the point which is that sometimes certain businesses cater to hires with certain college backgrounds, but thankfully its not really widespread.

 

 

Nope these folks are in Marketing, Sales, HR and PR.

All these stories bring up another point that I think is far, far more important than WHERE you go to school.

 

And that's WHEN you go to school.

 

Human brains mature in abstract thinking and computation around age 22. Emotional maturity lags WAY behind, into the 30's, and recent research indicates that emotion just keeps maturing into old age. Given this fact alone, it's amazing that anyone graduates from college in four years.

 

A lot of Nordic countries still have mandatory domestic military service at age 18, and I know that in Germany this can be replaced with a year of public service or international development service. This might not rub well with America's concept of personal freedom, but this country sure does excel at graduating 18 year olds who fall flat on their faces.

 

 

In my mind there are a couple factors to consider.

 

I would say that the school name on your college diploma matters much, much more for landing your first or second gig in the "real world."  After that, your employment history and "network" will dictate your success in finding better jobs.

 

You should also consider where you may want to settle down.  For instance, a CSU degree (especially some of the grad schools) carry a lot of weight around these parts, but barely no weight nationally... On the other hand, I know some employers here that do not like to hire fresh CWRU grads, but CWRU's national reputation is quite good.  So, when someone asks me if they should go to business or law school at either CWRU or CSU, I always ask where they want to go when they graduate.  If they say they want to stay in Cleveland, I tell them to save the money and go to CSU... but if they want to go to NYC or Chicago (or wherever), I tell them that the expense of Case might be well worth it.

 

Finally, you want to take a good look at the alumni system the school has.  Really good alumni networks operate as safety nets for recent grads in tough economic times.  Schools like Notre Dame and Duke, for example, have great networks and prominent alumni who will help you find a job or give you one.  It seems as if the schools that have strong alumni interest in athletics, usually are able to keep tabs on their alumni and build up these networks. 

Everyone thank you so much for all these replies. I've been SO indecisive about college. It is way too overwhelming!

 

I have a few more questions about masters degrees. Is it good to go straight into your masters after your bachelors? and does it matter where you get your masters from?

Everyone thank you so much for all these replies. I've been SO indecisive about college. It is way too overwhelming!

 

I have a few more questions about masters degrees. Is it good to go straight into your masters after your bachelors? and does it matter where you get your masters from?

 

I worked, then let my company pay for my masters.  But each person is different.  In today's market I say get your feet wet, get in a company, start a career path then figure out if you want on MBA.

I agree with MTS. If you're thinking MBA, having a few years work experience is invaluable. Not only because most good schools require it, but because having a couple years under your belt gives you real world context to what you're learning. You can see the application of the theory you're being taught, and can even be in a position to challenge those theories. It will give you a leg up over your peers that went right to grad school from undergrad.

I agree with MTS. If you're thinking MBA, having a few years work experience is invaluable. Not only because most good schools require it, but because having a couple years under your belt gives you real world context to what you're learning. You can see the application of the theory you're being taught, and can even be in a position to challenge those theories. It will give you a leg up over your peers that went right to grad school from undergrad.

 

I agree...

 

If you can get a beginner or intermediate credential from an undergraduate degree, like education, business, journalism, are some, then I think it's best to work at least 3 years before starting graduate school. For some others, like medicine, law, the hard sciences, going straight to grad school may be the only option to be able to practice. I would also say that students who take a few years between undergrad and grad humanities/social science degrees are often better prepared for graduate school than those who go straight through.

encouraging stuff here:

 

College Degrees More Expensive, Worth Less in Job Market

By KRISTI OLOFFSON Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009

 

Employers and career experts see a growing problem in American society — an abundance of college graduates, many burdened with tuition-loan debt, heading into the work world with a degree that doesn't mean much anymore. The problem isn't just a soft job market — it's an oversupply of graduates. In 1973, a bachelor's degree was more of a rarity, since just 47% of high school graduates went on to college. By October 2008, that number had risen to nearly 70%. For many Americans today, a trip through college is considered as much of a birthright as a driver's license.

 

Marty Nemko, a career and education expert who has taught at U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, contends that the overflow in degree holders is the result of many weaker students attending colleges when other options may have served them better. "There is tremendous pressure to push kids through," he says, adding that as a result, too many students who aren't skilled become degree holders, promoting a perception among employers that higher education doesn't work. "That piece of paper no longer means very much, and employers know that," says Nemko. "Everybody's got it, so it's watered down."

 

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1946088,00.html?xid=rss-biztech-yahoo#ixzz0ZADsIQN7

 

 

 

Again, the trades are hurting for people and pay well. Yet kids refuse to go into them because they won't get to have a fun, exiting college atmosphere. Right now, the trade option consists of

 

1. Go to vo-tech instead of regular high school, and spend your last two years away from your classmates in a school across town. After graduation, never see a member of the opposite sex again. Duck into the nearest NASCAR bar after work. Face drug tests for the rest of your life. Be mocked by college graduates who work at Starbucks for spelling errors while making seven times more money than them with your actually useful knowledge and skills.

 

2. Go to trade school for 0.5 to 1.5 years after high school. Never see a member of the opposite sex again. Duck into the nearest NASCAR bar after work. Face drug tests for the rest of your life. Be mocked by college graduates who work at Starbucks for spelling errors while making seven times more money than them with your actually useful knowledge and skills.

 

 

If colleges would adopt trade majors and allow them to earn true 4-year baccalaureate degrees (with the same general-ed requirements that all students take) our country would be a lot better off. Kids want to develop social skills, do extracurriculars, party and meet chicks, but the trade school/apprenticeship model doesn't accommodate that. And, the quality of the average skilled laborer would be even higher.

^I'm not sure the trades are hurting for people in this economy, but I agree that generally trades suffer from a silly reputation problem. Also, many 4 year schools do offer programs like what you're describing, but from what I can tell, those programs suffer from the same reputation issues as their community college counterparts.

I think you'd have a tough time getting people to pay $10k a year to go to trade school so that they can have that atmosphere.  A lot of people still don't go (or don't complete) college.

 

I don't know how many of these trade jobs there are.  A lot of those guys are susceptible to being laid off or having hours cut back.  I know people that have done the route that you described and some have done very well (master plumbers, etc) and some haven't because of cutbacks and then after getting laid off they're having a tough time finding more work because they don't have a degree in a regular field.

 

what vocations can we include here? electricians, plumbers, HVAC guys? I know there are others, but are there enough jobs in those areas?

^ I think moms and dads, especially ones who come from the trades, would be way more into sending their kids into the trades since the jobs start at least $11 an hour plus benefits (with many more starting at $13-20). This is in contrast to the minimum wage-$9/hr jobs (with little in the way of pay raises or benefits) that half of all college graduates, and many with advanced degrees, find themselves working. If the trades had a better reputation due to 4-year degrees being available, then they wouldn't be stigmatized as much. I don't recall people looking down on the CADD/CAM machining majors at Shawnee State.

 

In addition to the ones diaspora mentioned, also include auto mechanics, print shop guys, agriculture. In traditional female careers, you can include things such as some healthcare jobs and cosmetology.

 

Don't forget that going to college makes it easier for these tradesmen to go into business for themselves, freeing them from unpleasant working conditions, protecting them from the boneheaded moves of their corporate overlords that get people laid off and of course, letting them keep more of the monetary value that they created with their work.

 

Also, there must not be enough people going into these fields, or else the starting pay rate wouldn't be so elevated. I mean, all these college educated kids working at Best Buy that sell hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise a year are still making only around minimum wage. Yet, the tradesman may only generate the same amount of revenue but makes 3-5x as much when benefits are figured in. This shows that there is a glut of people willing and able to work at Best Buy, but a shortage of people willing and able to work in the trades, though you have to adjust for the higher danger level of the trades.

I'm curious...where do you get your stats on half of all college graduates (many with advanced degrees) working for $6-9 an hour?

^Well, I shouldn't have put a number on it such as "Half". I'm simply using anecdotal information based on my experience and that of my friends and classmates. Most of them still aren't making much five years after graduation.

^Okay, just wondering.  I know that in some parts of the country there are serious issues with this (particularly in the Pacific NW) i just didn't think it was quite that way here.

 

I don't really know many people that have college degrees that can't find good work.  The few that work for those sorts of wages don't want to do what it would take to get a job that paid more (work 40 hours a week, work for someone, work in less than ideal conditions, taking drug tests, etc).  So, i don't really count them as being unable to find work.

^I would add that it comes down to people expecting to get their dream job immediately upon graduating from college. A number of kids I went to high school with are/were completely surprised they weren't offered starting jobs in the $100K range upon finishing their bachelors degree in whatever low demand area of expertise. (I mean how many interior decorators does one nation need?) They don't want to settle for anything less.

 

As for trade schools, I think that part of the reason for the perception is that these schools aren't generally in beautiful old brick buildings with pastoral park-like settings. As an example, wasn't the complaint about CSU pre-renovation that it was built like a community college bunker?

 

BUT, it's not like trade schools have the resources to build shiny new buildings simply for attracting students.

 

 

As for trade schools, I think that part of the reason for the perception is that these schools aren't generally in beautiful old brick buildings with pastoral park-like settings. As an example, wasn't the complaint about CSU pre-renovation that it was built like a community college bunker?

 

BUT, it's not like trade schools have the resources to build shiny new buildings simply for attracting students.

for the record, New York University is basically a bunch of boxy buildings clustered around Washington Square Park and is--for some unfathomable reason--now considered one of the most prestigious schools in the nation. It's as if you took Ohio State, squeezed it into a few crowded urban blocks, and charged 4 times the tuition! Additionally, the bratty, spoiled kids who go there--whose parents shell out 50K+/a year--have no idea how good they have it!!

I'm not even going to get started on NYU, but do remember many of those rich kids get destroyed after graduation in more recent years. Look how many liberal arts majors there are. The big advantage would just be living in New York which leads to networking.

 

Keep in mind too that while it's a huge, well-known university, its endowment can't hold a candle, to say, Michigan.

I have to admit that part of my problem with NYU is that the E. Vill. is inundated with students. For years NYU was more or less a commuter school with most kids coming from middle & upper middle class homes from the NYC area. It was sort of a second choice if you couldn't get into a more prestigious school. Now it's become some sort of must-go-to school with a national (and even international) reputation :wtf: and the demand for housing near campus has exploded. It seems all these kids are interested in is going to clubs. Perhaps they were inspired by the Olsen twins going there a few years ago--lol. The only difference is that they already were multi-milliionaires and lived in a super big luxury apartment. I don't think either of them finished (I guess being mega-rich at age 17 is somewhat of a disincentive). I just remember seeing one of them--couldn't tell if it was Mary Kate or Ashley if my life depended on it--strolling down Bleecker Street one Friday night with her "posse" a couple of years ago. Maybe she was coming back from the library...

lawd.....another c-dawg sermon.  As my grand father would say, "Aint been in the world a hot minute, but you know everything!  Go somewhere and sit your little ass down!"

The only problem with community college is that it distances you from the school and its culture. Not only do you usually have to drive there, but you don't make nearly as many friends as you do in the dorms. There are fewer people in your circle of friends in the same boat as you. I went nowhere academically at OU-Lancaster (bad grades, poor attendance) because all of my friends from high school were working full time and had different priorities. I did have some friends from high school at OU-L, but they were all living with their folks and weren't in my classes. As soon as I transferred to Shawnee State and lived in the dorms with people in my situation, my grades and participation went through the roof. With that said, OU-L is a strong facility. It's simply harder to stay focused at an auto-oriented school.

Studies are starting to show that community colleges have possibly driven down the rate of folks who get a bachelors degree of some sort. For the committed, CC can be great places. For others, it is very easy to slide in and out the school.

There's a big difference (well, several) between a community college and a branch campus of a university. I went to a branch campus for my first two years, then transferred to main campus - I don't have a single regret about not enduring dorm life, and saved a sh!tload of money going that route. The quality of education was on par with main campus as well - most of my instructors were based at main campus.

I went to a community college before transferring to a 4 year school and several profs I had taught at both schools. From my experience many of the classes at both schools are pretty much the same.

 

(Well ok, I actually went to a 4 year school, dropped out for a few years, went to a different 4 year school, then went to community college, then transferred to another 4 year school. Maybe one day I'll graduate, maybe.)

Random thoughts on this school discussion to those still making a decision.

 

Be practical with your majors/minors. If you are going to get a a bachelors in the fine arts or one of the sciences, and are not planning on grad school, get a minor in business or do a double major. If you are lucky you never need it. If you are not lucky you should be able to find some sort of decent paying job in a related field. Almost everything is ran like a business, those skills are universal. I have a friend from school who was an English lit major who now is a very bitter customer service sector employee.

 

Get experience. Co-op or intern. Doing that gives you at least some experience when looking for a job and that is a huge leg up over other recent grads. Multiple stints at the same company or organizations looks good too.

 

Ideally if you plan on working before grad school, go back sooner rather than later. It's easier before you have too many commitments. House. Family. Blah blah blah. I am still kicking myself for not going to law school after I was accepted in 2003 when I just had one kid..now I have three. It's like those insurance commercial, life comes at you fast...

 

Don't discount the MRS degree, the value of being a fun and humorous person is never higher than it is in college. People that would never give you a second look in the real world will go out with you in college. Pick dates based on major, pre-law and pre-med are at a premium. Followed by safe career type people such as engineering and accountants. Beware of business majors, they can be hit or miss. Never date a Comm or Arts major unless you really enjoy eating ramon noodles. Don't be afraid to get your pre-gold digging game on. If you do it right you could be set for life. I am only half kidding about this....

 

Edit; For the record I married a Scripps Journalism major that I met at OU, needless to say I am the primary bread winner.

Random thoughts on this school discussion to those still making a decision.

 

Be practical with your majors/minors. If you are going to get a a bachelors in the fine arts or one of the sciences, and are not planning on grad school, get a minor in business or do a double major. If you are lucky you never need it. If you are not lucky you should be able to find some sort of decent paying job in a related field. Almost everything is ran like a business, those skills are universal. I have a friend from school who was an English lit major who now is a very bitter customer service sector employee.

 

Get experience. Co-op or intern. Doing that gives you at least some experience when looking for a job and that is a huge leg up over other recent grads. Multiple stints at the same company or organizations looks good too.

 

Ideally if you plan on working before grad school, go back sooner rather than later. It's easier before you have too many commitments. House. Family. Blah blah blah. I am still kicking myself for not going to law school after I was accepted in 2003 when I just had one kid..now I have three. It's like those insurance commercial, life comes at you fast...

 

Don't discount the MRS degree, the value of being a fun and humorous person is never higher than it is in college. People that would never give you a second look in the real world will go out with you in college. Pick dates based on major, pre-law and pre-med are at a premium. Followed by safe career type people such as engineering and accountants. Beware of business majors, they can be hit or miss. Never date a Comm or Arts major unless you really enjoy eating ramon noodles. Don't be afraid to get your pre-gold digging game on. If you do it right you could be set for life. I am only half kidding about this....

 

Edit; For the record I married a Scripps Journalism major that I met at OU, needless to say I am the primary bread winner.

 

Internships are very important.  I worked three summers at SOHIO and one at Sherwin Williams. 

 

That is how I was able to get my first job at SOHIO, my internship.  They didn't even bother to interview for the two open positions, they just offered them to my best friend and I.

Oh god a young MTS. As an intern even. Imagine that. I bet they didn't know what hit them...