Hi everybody,
I’m in a really annoying financial situation in regards to paying for college. I’ve gotten into a lot of great school (top 25) but I couldn’t afford any of them unfortunately, as my dad has flat out refused to support me in any way possible (he’s my noncustodial parent… It’s complicated 
). It’s really frustrating because I know the only thing holding me back from a top notch university is the $$… But that’s the way it is and I have to get over it. Because of this I am attending the University of Utah as an Economics major as it is the only affordable option. The university itself is fine but obviously, being a sub 100 ranked school, it doesn’t have a big brand name. My question is, is it possible to get a great job graduating from a college like the UofU? I heard internships were pretty important for this but I’m assuming they also look at a schools brand name/reputation? What would you guys recommend? I really want to end up back in Southern California after college so I dunno
What you do in college will make all the difference. Start right at the beginning of first year talking to the Econ department about summer internships- what the choices are, when the application deadlines are, what their thoughts are. Before you go, though, do some structured thinking about what you might like to do with your Econ degree. You don’t have to be 100%, but you need to have done some of the work for them to be able to be helpful to you. Are you looking at grad school? going into a particular industry? etc.
You have the potential to be one of their stars- the student that they see as having the potential to ‘make good’. Work hard in their classes, be that star, get strong summer internships. If you are as smart and hardworking as your top-25 acceptances imply, you will be able to get that great job. Seriously.
I know an engineering student at a sub 100-ranked school… he just completed an internship at NASA.
Does that answer your question?
Is a masters at Oregon State University, University of Texas, or University of Southern California ok for job prospects?
@AmericanOutsider, you are attending a school with >20,000 undergraduate students and >10,000 graduate students, meaning that there are likely to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 alumni active in their careers at any given time. That number alone is enough to say - with relative certainty - that you will be able to find a good job.
Major companies are interested in Utah since it is one of the few large schools in the Mountain West, meaning that they need to recruit there to ensure nationwide coverage. In other words, it isn’t like you are going to a small, no-name school on one of the coasts, where there are dozens of schools within a 20 minute drive.
For a dose of reality, consider this: If you were truly a star, then you would have gotten substantial scholarships (to the point that money would not be an issue) to top universities. This isn’t to say that you aren’t intelligent and talented - I have no idea since I don’t know you - but it is to say that you should not underestimate the talent level you will find at Utah, nor should you underestimate the difficulty of the classes you take.
If you work hard and do well, you will have just as many opportunities as anybody else. The big firms may not hire as many people out of Utah as they do out of Wharton, but they still hire.
Thanks for the advice! Just one thing though @chrisw, nowhere did I claim to be a “star”. And I’m also not putting my current college down. I mean I’m really enjoying my time here. And I never intended to give the impression that I’m better than anyone, which I don’t really get reading my OP. I just really wanted to know what the job outlook is for a school that isn’t ranked at the top. Also, last time I checked, most schools in the top 25 don’t give merit aid or barely give merit aid. They are mostly exclusively need based.
Not necessarily: most of the tippy-tops only give need based, not merit aid.
More to the point: the OP appears to have the potential to be a stand out where they are- and that can matter a lot.
Go to your university’s career office and ask these questions. They’ll have the data and they are the people to help (since you are naming your school).
The so-called top 25 colleges produce less than 5% of all college grads. That means over 95% of the workforce did not go to a top 25 school.
I know people who have graduated from top schools to be working at Home Depot just as anyone would find themselves if they had 0 internships under their belt.
Therefore you need to focus on participating in as many internships as possible, as as others have said, talk to your college, they have so many resources. Take advantage of them.
Network!! Find organizations relating to economics, or clubs. Google some!
Experience is everything, and follow that with a specialized education (a degree) and you are golden!
After all, employers want to see people who take a large interest in the field. Have a background that makes you look dedicated, not only to your studies, but to your career.
I got an internship with a government sector and I haven’t even finished my prerequisites at my state college. It’s not exactly what I was looking for but it’s getting my foot in the door and my name out there. They saw my passion, not my GPA or how prestigious my school is.
I think you will be fine!