Despite my dreams of going to a college out of state and one that was best for my major, I’ve realized that I’m probably going to have to stay in-state. My family’s income is about 60k and all of the colleges I’ve thought of applying to don’t offer enough financial aid, which would leave my only option to be taking out huge loans that would just put us into even more debt that I’d rather avoid. I also unfortunately don’t qualify for many scholarships because, despite doing well in school I seem to be too dense when it comes to standardized tests such as the SAT/ACT. But, despite that, my real question is, in your personal opinion, does the college you go to make you? Would I still have a chance at being successful if I were to go to a relatively average college rather than top colleges for my major? I was hoping that future employers would care more about personal achievement and skill rather than the prestige of the college you attend, but is that actually true? Sorry I know this ended up being like 4 different questions, but I would greatly appreciate any input.
Ultimately, it comes down to you. Your effort, determination, willingness to seek things out, success, etc. Make the effort to know your professors. Visit them in office hours. Get involved on campus. Join groups that will help you network within your field (and also ones that are just fun).
Certain employers do cater to certain schools. However, there are tons of kids working at great jobs / employers all over the place. Go on linkedin and check it out. Go to your school’s page and look under alumni and then search by employer. Whether or not they recruit on campus, these people have navigated their way so it can be done.
College is a great time for personal growth. You will determine your future. Some schools make that path easier, but ultimately it’s up to you.
Best of luck!
Some of the most successful people I know went to CC or small, no-name schools. People skills, grit, and being in the right place at the right time are just as or more important than your school.
I totally agree with the above. I came from no money (what your parents make would be like the Rockefellers to me as a kid). I went to a community college my first year. Then a small local no name college. But I was determined and motivated to succeed. I currently live in Chicago in a very nice neighborhood with friends and neighbors that went to podunk name colleges and people that went to Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago and so on. No one cares where anyone went to.
You make the school, the school doesn’t make you. Simple as that. There are totally schools with name recognition, no question, but you still need to apply and interview yourself, not the school.
Don’t let anyone ever tell you, you can’t. I am telling you, if you want it, you can!
Obviously more doors are open if you go to Harvard, but …
What are your grades and scores? What state do you live in? What would you like to study?
In my experience, it depends. There are certain majors or career’s that more doors open based on where you went to school but for the larger population of people, no its not going to matter where you went.
Those first jobs certainly can be helped by the where you go but after you’ve been in the job a few years the where you go starts to become less important and instead you will be judged more by the decisions you make, the actions you take and the results you produce. I climbed the corporate ladder because of what I was able to do for the organizations and not because of where I earned my undergraduate or MBA.
When I interview candidates I don’t really care where they went to school, I want to know what they’ve accomplished and how those skills can benefit me and my organization to achieve our goals.
The other thing I would stress to anyone is dedicate time throughout your career to building a network. I wish I knew the importance of that earlier in my career but having a strong business network is critical as you build your career.
You can be successful going to college anywhere! As noted in other replies, get involved, go out of your way to meet your professors, and work hard at gaining work experience every single summer.
You are doing yourself a favor by not burdening yourself with loans!
One’s graduate degree granting school is usually much more important in the real world than the name of one’s undergraduate school. Nevertheless, graduating from a well respected elite college or university can open doors early in one’s career. And it is always a positive to be surrounded by hardworking, intelligent ambitious students as they are likely to become a valuable network in the real world.
While the simple answer to your question is “no”, the more accurate answer is “it depends”.
College educated parents who support their children’s efforts to get into elite schools is based on the belief, often born out of real world experience, that opportunities come easier to those who do well at elite colleges and universities at the onset of their careers.
Regardless, hard work and determination remain the building blocks of a successful career.
^ This is a great reply. Like I previously said, it ultimately comes down to you…but their are advantages inherent within the elite schools. My personal experience is I attended a state U many yrs ago and ultimately did fine after a career change. In comparison, S attends one of these elites and the level of success attained by his friend’s parents is uniformly quite high. High earnings, prolific careers, etc. So these kids naturally track towards those opportunities. I think you have some of those at the local college, but it seems to be the norm within S’ circle of friends. Just looking at the list of summer internships is quite impressive.
Again, it’s up to you. From that State U, I was able to build a very nice lifestyle and afford to pay for the elite situation for my kids. I wish I would have had what they have, but isn’t that what most parents want, to do the best they can for their kids?
Ultimately it really doesn’t. 99.99% of the workforce run the worlds largest and most diverse economy without ever going to an elite school. There are places like Wall Street banks that only recruit from top schools, but that’s limited to only a few select occupations. Google and other big high tech companies will recruit for a few select positions from top schools, but is limited to only a small handful of entry level jobs. Virtually all jobs are publicly posted. In academia, universities are more interested in research and accomplishments than the school they attended. Even the big fortune 500 companies care very little about elite schools. In my last job search, I interviewed with more fortune 500 companies than I can count and I went to a regional state university.
A big name school can make it easier to find an entry level job out of school, depending on what your major is. However, 70% of all new jobs come from small to medium size companies, who recruit locally and regionally. Ultimately it comes down to what you know and how well you can do the job.
I totally agree with the it depends but most of the time it depends more on you and what you make of your education than where you go. I have been able to work where I want in very good jobs with a degree from a private college in TX and a graduate degree from a lesser state U. My son has chosen to go to an OOS state U some people look down on but it is perfect for him. We know alumni from there that are CEOs, millionaires, Doctors, lawyers, Veterinarians, engineers and businessmen all doing extremely well with jobs all over the country.
If you want to work at an elite wall street firm then an elite school is the way to go. If you want to be a veterinarian it doesn’t matter as much. So again. It depends but you can do great from any reputable college.
Just exactly how good are your grades and how “bad” are your ACT/SAT scores?
Have you looked at the list of no-test and test-optional colleges and universities at FairTest.org? There are some excellent places on that list that have good need-based aid. http://fairtest.org/university/optional
Also, if you have always had difficulty with standardized tests relative to your in-class performance, pop by the guidance office at your high school and set up screening with the resource team for processing speed and other issues in the dyslexia family. If you have an underlying issue like that, you probably want to spend some time on your compensation skills while you can get that kind of help free in high school.