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The New York Times has a series they call Room for Debate, where they gather a few brilliant people and have them all answer the same question. The most recent one was "Does It Matter Where You Go to College?", and the answer from everyone seemed to be definitively "Well ... it shouldn't matter for a million reasons, but in certain situations, it kinda does ..."Very selective colleges spend larger amounts on the education of each student, thousands more, and there are much higher rates of graduation. Many of our nation's leaders went to the same handful of schools, which could be because of brand recognition. Human resources people and executives see a name of a school on a resume and reason that the person who went to that school has to be qualified, whereas the rest of us actually have to prove ourselves.
Kids who go to selective colleges, Ivy Leaguers and such, apparently have clear advantages if they go work on Wall Street, enter the fields of philosophy or medical research, or go on to get a masters or doctorate, so says the Times panel. But what about the rest of us who just want to work in jobs we can stand and spend the rest of our time pursuing things we're passionate but uneducated about?
As one of the debaters put it, "The key to success in college and beyond has more to do with what students do with their time during college than where they choose to attend." Basically, if you're motivated you can get a good education anywhere, and if you're lazy you'll probably still graduate, but you likely won't be able to put "go-getter" on your resume.
To those of you young enough to be considering the terrifying specter of where to go to college, know that it will only feel terrifying for a short time. Graduates of Ivy League schools may get in the door faster, but having got in so easily, they still have to prove themselves. No matter where you get into school, it'll be up to you to decide what to do with your time while there, and also up to you to determine what success you'll have after you graduate. The world has expanded so much that there is room for the feisty upstarts and the hoi polloi alike. Take it from me, a girl who went to an OK school for many years to become a therapist and is now a freelance writer. Your real education begins after college.
What do you think? Did you go to a "good" school or a nondescript school, and do you think it affected you post-graduation? Tell us in the comments!
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Tuesday 07 December
By Sam
I'm at one of the best universities on my continent, and let me tell you it really does make a difference here because of the vast disparities between the different institutions based on resourcing and focus areas.
Because of the facilities in our labs and libraries, we attract the best researchers. I personally have been lectured by some of the best international scholars. Compare that to a school that has no labs, no alumni to speak of, no strong student civil society - the opportunities are vastly different!
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Tuesday 07 December
By Michelle
I echo Sam's words. It drives me bananas when people say it doesn't matter where you went to college. Of course it does. I work in an area surrounded by outstanding colleges, so we get really good candidates coming in whenever we post a job. If somebody went to Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill (I live in NC), they immediately stand out above somebody that went to other NC schools. Sorry--that's just the way it is. But the article is right that it matters what you do with your time in college. We still, of course, look at people that went to all colleges, and if we see somebody that went to a lesser known school or one that we know isn't as academically challenging, but wow, they have a lot of internships, etc., we see and respect that initiative.
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Wednesday 08 December
By Ginny Harris
I think so much of depends on what you are planning on doing. Sure, with the examples listed (doctor, lawyer, bigshot on Wall Street), going to an Ivy League is probably a pretty good start. However, I study rangeland ecology. Right now I'm working on a masters on better ways to map sage-habitat. That is a program that is only offered at only land-grant colleges, ie "state schools," and at only about 8 of them. The one that I'm in here is considered one of the top out of those schools.
I will never have an Ivy League degree, or one from any other prestigious university. However, I could never follow my passion if I had decided to go to one of those schools.
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Tuesday 07 December
By smalls
Of course it matters where you went to college. To pretend it doesn't does a disservice to anyone who's applying to schools or entering the job market. A top-tier school on your resume suggests that you have already passed through at least one rigorous filter and makes you more attractive to employers.
That doesn't mean everyone else has no shot at the same jobs, but the reality is that it's a snowball effect: once you've got an Ivy League stamp of approval, your first job out of the gate is likely to be a better job...and so on...
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Wednesday 08 December
By Leslie
It can make a big difference, many HR departments will not even look at your resume/application if they don't recognize the school anymore due to the number of fake degrees that are out there.
This is especially important if you go to a small local school and move out of the area.
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Wednesday 08 December
By Sarah
So are the rest of us who go to "average" universities completely screwed? I work really hard, I'm in clubs, and I have a good GPA. I'm also going to do internships next year. I don't think we are completely overlooked.
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