<p>I'm talking about WashU, Rice, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UChicago, Emory, Michigan, Illinois, Carleton, Grinnell. From the laymen's perspective as well as the perspectives of employers and well-educated people.</p>
<p>I'm only looking to hear from people with no axe to grind, so please save your ever so subtle anti-WashU rant for somewhere else. Thank you.</p>
<p>Most of the schools you listed are highly regarded where I live in New England. Carleton and Grinnell are “sleepers” and are not as well known by everyone. The others you listed have “name recognition” and are regarded as fine schools. (And no, I won’t rant about the over abundance of mail WashU sends out annually).</p>
<p>For the most part, they aren’t perceived at all. Well, not quite true. Some folks, when they hear Grinnell, will think that you said Cornell. Everyone knows about Duke basketball, and (used to know) about UMichigan football. Social workers will know UChicago, and many will remember than Obama taught there. Lots of women will recognize Gloria Vanderbilt. When you say WashU, folks will be absolutely clueless. ;)</p>
<p>Not that it matters a lot: in job interview situations (I conduct them) the “where he went to school” part takes about 20-30 seconds tops, unless you went to my alma mater or that of my boss. We all want to know what you can be expected to do for us now, not what your SAT score was 4-6 years ago. And if we are at all savvy, we’ve learned that while the degree might (occasionally) help with that first job out of college, past that, what we care about is performance.</p>
<p>You will be amazed to discover how little folks actually care.</p>
<p>I agree with Thumper1.</p>
<p>Where I live – which is a very affluent town with a very competitive public HS – everyone knows all the schools you mentioned (perhaps with the exception of Carleton and Grinnell) and every year we have kids who wind up at those schools.</p>
<p>I would say Northwestern and U of C are the best known and most well regarded of the schools you mentioned. WashU is on the radar of parents and kids who already know that it’s a great school, but many have not heard of it (we just went through this when my d was considering applying - people kept asking: “is that in Washington state?”). </p>
<p>Michigan, of course people recognize for athletics and, every single person we told that we were visiting there said: “go to Zingerman’s.” : )</p>
<p>Carleton and Grinnell? I’m a well-educated mom of a rising senior and know a lot of schools and I’m ashamed to say I’m not even sure where they are. Carleton is in Minnesota? Grinnell in Iowa? And if I’m not entirely familiar with them, you can be sure that your basic, everyday, not thinking of colleges person won’t be all that familiar with them. </p>
<p>Of course, that doesn’t mean that employers won’t be familiar with them. I’m not hiring anyone these days. ;)</p>
<p>I would say Rice, Vanderbilt and Emory are at about the same recognition level - people will say they’ve heard of it, but aren’t sure if they are in Atlanta, New Orleans (Tulane will get confused with Emory sometimes) - just somewhere in the south.</p>
<p>Most of the time, it does not matter. There are situations where it could make a difference, though even in most of those cases, it is more having a connection with someone. For example, in this area, there is a catholic school network, and if you are going to a catholic school, it can be an ice breaker for conversation in an interview situation. Maybe it will help a little bit. In that sense, going to local schools can be more useful in that there are more people around who know folks at those schools or went there themselves giving you more contacts. There are also those who may harbor a bit of a chip on their shoulders about those who did not go to their category of schools. That can also swing both ways, by the way, in terms of prestige. A lot of state teacher college graduates are not particularly impressed with graduates from LACs or prestigious schools looking for a position in their fields.</p>
<p>There are times when it can make a big difference. If you want to clerk for the Supreme Court or work for a firm that clearly has nearly all career employees from schools with name recognition, it can be a drawback that you are not from one of the selected schools. </p>
<p>My friend’s D who graduated from BC law school is finding that getting a job in the midwest is tough. It is an advantage to be from a local law school. But it could also be that she just doesn’t have the contacts there that she does in Boston, nothing to do with the school at all.</p>
<p>H hires at a consulting firm where strong analytical and writing skills are needed. His department is a mix of ivy league, international, and small, little known college grads. I do notice that those hired with a MBA all have that degree from selective programs. But religious schools, lacs, big state schools, local schools, ivies, midwest, southern, western schools are all a mix, and there is no discernable pattern at all. More easterners simply because more apply from this area.</p>
<p>Thank you guys. The reason I ask is because I’ll be graduating from one of these schools and am thinking of relocating to the East Coast after graduation. Doing what, I don’t know yet.</p>
<p>^^^ Why? To me, one of the big plusses of those schools is that you can AVOID the east coast!</p>
<p>^^This.
Why? To me, one of the big plusses of those schools is that you can AVOID the east coast!</p>