I went to a good flagship state school, in part because it was a good school, in part because this was what my mom could afford, in part because I knew I would come out of it with a massive social and career network, and in part because it was ranked in the Top 20 party schools in Playboy at the time (this is how boys in the 80’s and 90’s thought). I got a great education, and had a blast. I would not trade that experience for anything. I worked for a few years, then went to a top business school, which was also a great experience. My undergrad prepared me well for grad school.
I am in a field, investment banking/corporate finance, where probably 60-70% of the senior people have an MBA, and 90% of those are from a top school. My career has definitely not been linear since, and I have made some career mistakes that were whoppers, but I was effectively my own boss by my mid 40’s and I am doing exactly what I want to do. The MBA has really helped my career, and I would probably not have gotten to this point without it.
Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech as mentioned upthread somewhere, but H has been his own boss totally (owning the company) since he was 34 and he is doing exactly what he wants to do too.
I’m not sure college matters as much as desire and ability.
I went to a T20 LAC for BA and a T20 R1 for PhD and absolutely think the education and name recognition from those schools has helped in my career. The LAC helped me get into a really amazing funded grad program (and prepared me well) and the R1 name prestige definitely helped me get my first job, one that I have stayed in for >20 years. In my field, academic reputation is very important/highly valued (probably inappropriately to a certain extent). I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career when I started college so I’m glad that the school I chose was ultimately one that was useful for where I ended up.
I never thought about it a day of my life. I never went anywhere prestigious and I’ve already interviewed with Amazon, Google, and many fortune 500 companies. I’ve worked for several fortune 500 companies too. Most/all of them are overrated. If you like working 80 hours a week for prestige as an overachiever, more power to you. I work normal hours for a stable job I enjoy. I don’t drive a fancy car or own huge house. I don’t need them.
Whether working for a Fortune 500 or other highly rated international business is overrated may depend upon the industry. The top law firms & the very top accounting firms handle matters & clients never–or rarely, if ever–handled by smaller firms. The work ethic & brainpower found in major law & accounting firms often is prized by other less well-known employers. Again,this may vary by industry.
I obtained both my BSN and MSN from an in-state public college. Never once did I feel that attending a more prestigious or higher-ranked school would have changed the outcome of my career. Hospital employers did not care where I graduated from, they were more impressed by previous clinical experience.
As for working as an NP after obtaining my MSN - again, employers were more impressed with my previous work experience and clinical rotation sites vs where I received my degree.
Glad I was able to not incur large amounts of debt with either degree.
I honestly don’t think anyone cared where I got my degrees but I really enjoyed Davis, CA and Eugene, OR and only spent time in both areas pursuing my degrees. Was very glad to graduate with minimal debt that I could have paid off prior to graduation.
Like many students, I was not mature enough for undergrad. I attended a top 15 university, but was not disciplined and focused enough to perform to my potential. Fast forward to grad school, which I attended right after a stint in the Marines, and I was far more motivated, focused and mature, which was reflected in my GPA. If I had it to do over, I would have gone into the service right out of high school, then attended college after having some sense beaten into me.
I think that as long as you go to a strong, reputable program it does not matter if you go to a top 10 or top 50 school, as long as you make the most of it. In the US we are blessed with many outstanding public universities that make it possible for students to get a great education without incurring a mountain of debt.
DH got a Bachelor’s in Finance from Tailgate U, no advanced degrees. He has had a spectacular career. Most of the other highly successful professionals he knows in the business went to state schools, some to the Flagship, but many just to the other big schools we have in our state. I’m sure there are some in the business who went to the smaller directionals. Some also attended a few of the more well known privates in North Texas.
Having an Ivy or other similar prestigious degree wouldn’t be a disqualifier in his industry, but it is in no way, shape or form a requirement, or even an advantage. This career simply requires intelligence, burning ambition, willingness to work long hours when necessary, and the courage to take risks now and then.
I attended the state Flagship and then another state school known for its good nursing program. I enjoyed that career, but in terms of salary, it definitely has a low ceiling. I have no regrets, really.
While on the subject, here are the top ten schools where the most Fortune 500 CEOs went for undergrad, as of 2018: 1. Wisconsin, 2. Harvard, 3. Cornell, 4. UofM, 5. Stanford, 6. Texas A&M, 7. University of Pennsylvania, 8. University of California (which one is not stated), 9. Purdue, 10. Yale.
I don’t regret my choices or how it turned out. That said, had I been better exposed to what a massive economic difference it would make had I pursued internships and a first job in major finance (major institutions, private equity, hedge funds, etc.), I would have been strongly tempted to do so, whether they interested me or not. In NYC young adults straight out of top undergraduate colleges can get jobs with total comps around $200K. Five years later they could be in the seven figures.
Went to regional satellite college, finished off at small liberal arts college no one heard of… I work as a Physician Asst and make way above the average pay. There are very few jobs that your college makes any difference in your work life…
