<p>You are talking about giving rates of 17% vs. 50%+ at the top LACs and the "alumni focused" top schools such as Dartmouth, ND, Yale, and Princeton. Its just very very different. Sure people might love other Gators, but you are talking about almost "familial" networks at smaller schools vs. people with mutual appreciation for a place and big sports at the larger one. I love some of the big publics, UNC is one of my favorite schools in the world. But alumni loyalty at UNC is very different than alumni loyalty at Princeton or Amherst.</p>
<p>Slipper,
I, too, love U North Carolina. And truth be told, its giving rate is actually much closer to 100%, or almost twice that of Dartmouth, as all of the UNC graduates who choose to live in NC post-graduation contribute annually via their tax dollars. And don’t tell me that that is not a legitimate comparison. </p>
<p>As for the alumni network and the role that it plays, U North Carolina is actually a very good example. Beyond providing an exceptionally good undergraduate experience (IMO, for many students, a better one than is available at Dartmouth), Tar Heel basketball has been a glue for students and alumni for decades. It is one college touchpoint that provides a bond (often to the point of paternalism) and a connection/discussion entree across many generations and which is renewed every winter. If you think that Dartmouth has a stronger networking power in the Southeast in general and North Carolina in particular, then you are out of your mind.</p>
<p>"As someone said before me, University of Michigan has the largest alumni network and it spans around the world."</p>
<p>Actually, that would be Penn State.</p>
<p>Notre Dame. haha my history teacher says he will put something about notre dame's sports on every quiz/test he gives. And we're in canada.</p>
<p>Kawaiigurl, I know you are an international student. Please be aware that US students don't write as if they were texting, especially in their college applications. Watch your spelling.</p>
<p>yeah.. i think i def. have to go with USC</p>
<p>USC network is definitely strong in California, but perhaps not as much in other regions of the US. The same is true for a lot of state or regional schools. I guess it really depends on where you want to end up working; if you want to live in a particular area then it will probably benefit you to go to a school that has a strong network in that area (of course, I would not recommend going to a school solely for its alumni network--make sure it's a good fit for you first!).</p>
<p>Michigan has such a strong alumni network, like a private school, because unfortunately it seems everyone is leaving the state. It stands to reason that with over 420,000 living alumni that you would find UM graduates virtually anywhere you'd want to go. By the way Penn State does indeed have the largest " dues paying" alumni association. Not sure if that means it also has the most living alumni.</p>
<p>Within some disciplines--engineering for sure--Virginia Tech has an amazing alumni network. Their alums, in general, are the most enthusiastic I've met.</p>
<p>Hawkette, I don't think you get it. The Dartmouth/ Princeton/ Amherst/ Wellesley connections run much deeper. If there is a prominent alum you'll likely get to talk with them just because of the alumni connection. They have much much more insight into the daily activities of their alums. There are way too many public school grads to ever have this happen. Its strength (quality of contacts plus loyalty of contacts), not size, that matters. </p>
<p>The tax dollar comparison is ridiculous. 50% of Dartmouth/ Princeton alums donate to their school VOLUNTARILY, taxes aren't. Tax dollars don't demonstrate loyalty!</p>
<p>Hawkette, I think you place way too much emphasis on the value of big sports. I'm a bears fan and go to many games, doesn't mean I'm going to give the guy I see at the bar next to me a job.</p>
<p>I think it is an "it all depends" answer on how you define things. Consider two very large schools like U of Mich and Penn State. From one point of view its U of M on volumen, however, PSU claims they have the largest "Active" group. There there are HPY, and any number of LACs, or engineering schools MIT, CALTech etc. Each of which has very helpful alums depending.</p>
<p>Slipper,
Well, we disagree and I think your comments represent an elitist view of Dartmouth et al and their graduates as if they are the only smart ones in the room and the only ones that have a valuable alumni network. It’s not that these aren’t special places-they are-but I think you severely underappreciate the similarly strong passions of graduates of many schools (many of which are also pretty darn special) and how this translates into powerful local/regional networks for them. </p>
<p>As smdur notes above, talk to someone in Virginia about engineering and they’ll likely be much better off with a degree from Virginia Tech or from U Virginia than one from Dartmouth’s Thayer School. As you’ve frequently posted, Dartmouth engineers regularly pursue jobs on Wall Street. I would agree if you claimed that, in that realm, Dartmouth would have a strong leg up on Virginia Tech and U Virginia. </p>
<p>Go around the country and consider the strength of Dartmouth’s appeal to the locals, including compared to those colleges that are ranked well below it. Talk to someone in Dallas and ask how Dartmouth compares to U Texas, Texas A&M, even SMU. Talk to someone in San Francisco and ask how Dartmouth’s alumni power compares to UC Berkeley or in LA compared to UCLA or USC. Talk to someone in Chicago and you’ll see quickly how strongly Dartmouth stands relative to Northwestern, U Chicago, Notre Dame and Wash U, not to mention the publics of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Go to the Pacific Northwest. Go the heartland of America. And on and on, you will find colleges with alumni support/networks superior to anything Dartmouth can offer in that area. </p>
<p>And yes, while not universally appreciated or actively considered, for many, many alums, the sports connection is big positive (and this is becoming increasingly true for women as well). Also, your comparison to the professional Bears is inappropriate and, furthermore, I would hope that no employer is offering a job to any grad from his/her school just because said applicant is an alum. </p>
<p>Downplay big sports all you want, but it is a clear differentiator of the type of undergraduate (and alumni) experience that Dartmouth offers and what is available at highly regarded academic places like U Virginia or U North Carolina, not to mention privates like Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Georgetown, etc. I would strongly argue that these schools can do for alumni nearly everything that Dartmouth can, while also providing positive athletic connections (think Duke, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, even Rice alums aren’t pumped up and enjoying their schools’ success in football this fall?) that regularly excites the alumni psychic connection. Dartmouth has nothing to compare to this. </p>
<p>Finally, the matter of financial contributions as a meaningful indication of student and alumni satisfaction is pathetic. It’s far more a reflection of the institutional priority and acumen at accomplishing this (not to mention the alumni’s financial position) than it is of the positive feeling that graduates have for their college. Sorry that you can’t respect the POV of a public university grad who sees his/her tax dollars as a contribution to their college. I totally do and I also believe that there are legions of other taxpayers who didn’t attend the State U, but have an affinity (often tied to sports) and familiarity (often tied to hiring history) that places State U ahead of Dartmouth. </p>
<p>The truth is that for schools which have made longstanding and highly prioritized efforts to boost alumni giving, this might be a good comparison, eg, how Dartmouth compares to other Ivies, but it is hardly applicable across the collegiate universe and into different regions of the country as an indicator of alumni passion and network strength. If you think that Dartmouth has a stronger alumni connection than someplace like Texas A&M (Alumni Giving rate of 18%), then you clearly know nothing about Texas A&M and lots of other places like it.</p>
<p>Institut Le Rosey has a great one, of course thats a secondary school though.</p>
<p>I was under the impression that Tufts has a strong alumni network, from what I've heard from current students, as well as some of my parent's friends who are alumni.</p>
<p>I second smdur1970 post, Virginia Tech has some amazing alumni. Case and point, this weekend an alumni put up with 25+ college kids staying at there house for a local race.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure Notre Dame's 267 official clubs on 6 continents and in every US state, the oldest having been founded in 1887, are the cream of the crop. That and the fact that you literally have to tell alumni no when they try to loan you their car for the weekend, or buy you groceries, or invite you to brunch. Literally.</p>
<p>And while the Trojans may have five alumni clubs in Texas, the Domers have ten, so, yeah.</p>
<p>Really nothing compares. But the closest perhaps is Texas A&M. I've heard stories about neighbors attempting to indoctrinate the local children in the ways of the Aggies. Kids living and dying by the Aggies because one of their grandparents went there. It really is meaningful.</p>
<p>The Ivies have the high profile Alumni networks, doesn't mean they'll necessarily help you out.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Virginia Tech
I second smdur1970 post, Virginia Tech has some amazing alumni. Case and point, this weekend an alumni put up with 25+ college kids staying at there house for a local race.
[/quote]
Go, Hokie go! Virginia Tech does have a strong alumni network.</p>
<p>I think that Princeton and Dartmouth have the highest alumni giving rate if that count for anything.</p>
<p>Hawkette,
I think that number is not equal to strength when we talk about alumni network. You may have a large alumni population in a area where a univeristy is located, but that doesn't mean the network is strong. My definition of strong is that alumni are very tightly knitted and help each other out in time of need. As far as I know the Dartmouth alumni network is far more tightly knitted than the Berkeley one in SF Bay area. when everyone is something, you don't need an association for that thing anymore. For example, in US, you can have a Russian Association, Japanese Association etc., but you don't need an American Association because almost everyone is an American.</p>
<p>Living at the SoCal area, I will DEFINATELY say that the USC hookups are very, very legit.</p>