Job Prospects after Northwestern?

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>In at Northwestern and like the University... But have no intentions at all of staying in the Midwest, or anywhere cold for that matter. Did not get into Stanford or Berkeley. </p>

<p>I was just wondering how many people go back to say, California after going here... Or is it mostly people stay around Chicago or something? I think it would be a great experience at a great school, just wondering if it would pigeon hole me in future terms and wondering the national clout of Northwestern. I know it's good, but not exactly Harvard either which I wouldn't think twice about. I have pretty much every intention of coming back to the SF Bay Area. </p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

<p>If it helps…We are from California(SF Bay Area). DD graduated from NU, and is now working in DC. One of her roommates is from the Mid-West-and she decided to move to Oregon upon graduation. Their major/degrees played a major part in where they focused their energies in seeking employment-and both succeeded in landing a great job in their fields. DD’s boyfriend was from the NE-and he is in California pursuing a Phd @ Cal…and DD plans to go to grad school in the NE, after a couple of years-which is a quasi-requirement for the program she is interested in.
So…will a degree from NU pigeon-hole you. From where I sit—it will open doors for you!</p>

<p>Short answer is no. Long answer is no, but you get the most leverage in the midwest, which is to say 10 instead of 9.5 on the opportunity scale (it runs to 10).</p>

<p>Obviously much depends on one’s major, academic performance and the field in which employment is sought.
That being said, employers from all over the US hire from NU, with many coming to campus (especially in the banking and financial services fields).<br>
I know kids who stayed in Chicago but work for national companies who have indicated they might move to NYC later, and others who came from and returned to CA.
As arbiter said, because NU is one of the two top schools in the midwest (maybe 3, depending on whom you ask), its reputation has just a little more juice in the midwest than on the two coasts, but the difference is marginal. I suspect that in CA you’ll do as well coming from NU as from any west coast school other than Stanford and in the northeast as well as all but a few of the Ivies and Williams and Amherst.</p>

<p>Native Californian, graduated this year from NU with an econ degree, currently working in the Bay area. </p>

<p>Of my circle of friends, I know people working/studying in: Seattle, Chicago, Memphis, NYC, Houston, Miami, DC, Minneapolis, Madison, here in SF, Charlotte, Atlanta and Oklahoma. </p>

<p>It’s actually a bummer because I’m coming back for the Michigan football weekend, not homecoming, and I don’t have a lot of people see because they are all across the country!</p>