<p>yes. im going to cornell this fall. :)
and i have been researching cornell like many other accepted students</p>
<p>but when that time to apply for jobs comes, do we really benefit SIGNIFICANTLY from the alumni networking benefits (like among fellow Cornellians and perhaps ivy leaguers ??)</p>
<p>and would graduates of other non-ivy, prestigious universities (mit, stanford, cal, etc..) really necessarily have a narrower alumni connection ?</p>
<p>i know its kinda dumb question, but just want that confirmation</p>
<p>thanks in advance :D</p>
<p>well Cornell is much bigger, so we would thus have a bigger alumni network.</p>
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<p>It all depends on how much you put into it. If you attend alumni events and get involved in the different post-graduation Cornell communities (regional clubs, CAAAN, mentoring opportunities, etc.) you will get a lot out of it. </p>
<p>One of the benefits of going to a school like Cornell is that we have alumni in literally every field you can imagine and we’re also large enough to have alumni groups in a lot of cities where other colleges don’t. On top of that, you can also plug into Ivy plus societies.</p>
<p>I was at a reception in Singapore for students admitted to the Class of 2014 and I left with a pretty good impression about the alumni network. The lady who gave the obligatory enroll-at-Cornell talk mentioned that she got her latest job through a Cornell contact and that several other alums in attendance had also gotten work through the alumni. I spoke to her personally later on and she mentioned that CAAAN in Singapore would also hitch current students up with summer internships if and when they were available. So speaking from my very limited one-off experience, I have to say I was very impressed (and reassured) by the notion that graduating from Cornell would make me a part of a global network of (often highly successful) individuals who’re willing to make a conscious effort to help out a fellow Cornellian.</p>
<p>Your second question is dumb, and I’m glad that you know it. What good would it do you to know if someone from MIT or Stanford has a ‘narrower’ alumni connection? Yes, their alumni networks are of a smaller size, which means a smaller likelihood of finding an alumni connection at the obscure company you might want to work for but: (a) most strong schools will be represented in prominent companies worldwide (b) contrast going to Reed (class size: 300) and being best friends with Steve Jobs versus going to Cornell (class size: 3000) and being the obnoxious opportunist no one can stand. A false dilemma, but my intent was to prod at your notion that an alumni network is nothing more than a set of statistics (probability that my Goldman interviewer will be a Cornell alum, probability that he’ll see my Cornell diploma and roll out the red carpet, blah blah)</p>
<p>Ultimately, it comes down to your conscientiousness in hunting down alumni connections and your ability to establish rapport with those contacts. Yes, Cornell and every other medium- to large-sized school of its caliber will provide a globally active alumni network but these things will only supplement effort on your part, not replace it.</p>