<p>I know. But no one ever knows for sure why they were passed up for a job. I have been on the job market over the last few years. When I haven’t gotten so much as a phone interview, I am left to wonder why. I often assume it is because of my age and thus the belief that I would be more expensive than a younger person with similar skills. But I really have NO IDEA. It could be something entirely different. Same goes for Liberty grads applying for jobs. If they are hired, they can assume it is because of, or in spite of, their LU degree. If they are not, they have no way of knowing whether the name might have hurt them.</p>
<p>Liberty is currently ranked near the bottom of the USNWR regional rankings for the south. It is far better known than any other school of its supposed caliber, and not because of its academic reputation. To me that makes it too high a risk for a college degree. It’s not well-known for the right reasons.</p>
<p>LU accepts anyone regardless of race or ideology. It has large international and minority communities on campus. Larger than many more mainstream colleges. Many go into jobs outside the corporate world working for international aid groups, doing mission work overseas, etc. Not everyone wants the world of business. Is this a job you ever thought about?? </p>
<p>I don’t think you really know squat about LU except for a couple items that made the national press. You have no idea what they do all over the world. Much more than some far more highly regarded schools</p>
<p>I guess it depends what you mean by diversity.</p>
<p>barrons, those are nice stories and (I’m sure) nice kids doing work in underdeveloped nations. No disagreement there. If Liberty were just a “nice Christian college” (preferably with more tolerant views on sexual orientation and political viewpoints) I’d have no problem with it. But it does bother me that the university is so connected to right-wing politics, both on the state and national level, and I also object to institutions that receive federal funds serving as campaign hubs for candidates of any political party.</p>
<p>This being your issue is actually kind of obvious… as mentioned before, they simply have the “wrong” beliefs for you. Nothing else matters (job placement of grads, grad/prof school success) as far as you are concerned. They don’t for everyone and the vast, vast majority simply don’t care. For some it is a good fit. To each their own.</p>
<p>But IMO it’s still 100% wrong to try to misalign a school (claiming their grads won’t get anywhere) merely because their values disagree with yours and you want to think your bias is shared by everyone.</p>
<p>I never said LU grads wouldn’t get anywhere. I said employers might look askance at the pedigree of job candidates with LU on their diploma. Others have posted here saying the same thing. </p>
<p>And for the record, I would have the same concerns about a university at the other end of the political spectrum if all they did was promote left-wing views in an unbalanced way and discouraged those with other perspectives from having a voice.</p>
<p>Christian colleges have the luxury and even the duty of NOT supporting every lifestyle or belief that comes along. They answer to a higher power. That’s kinda the point. And if any employer wants to discriminate against that–they are violating the US law and the Constitution.</p>
<p>How are they violating the US constitution? Going to a certain college is not a protected class. The investment firms on Wall Street are not “violating the US constitution” because they choose to recruit at Harvard and Princeton and not East Podunk State. </p>
<p>Look, there are plenty of religiously-affiliated colleges that are known for high academic standards. Notre Dame and Georgetown and Wheaton (IL) come to mind. Liberty simply isn’t one of them. That doesn’t mean that the kids there aren’t nice / good people, or that they don’t do good work and good things, or that they’ll all be unemployed, or that they can’t be trusted to be accountants or whatever. But it’s just not a very high-tier school. Which is fine. But it is what it is.</p>
<p>It doesn’t escape notice that it’s the Catholics, not the evangelical Protestants, who manage to put together top tier academic schools.</p>
<p>LOL-they don’t even have College Democrats - and I’m supposed to be “impressed”?</p>
<p>BTW, I wouldn’t be impressed with any major college that didn’t have both College Democrats and College Republicans types of organizations. </p>
<p>And if I’m hiring for a scientific position – why again would I be “impressed” by Liberty’s science when they fall far from the mainstream of contemporary scientific thought?</p>
<p>Sample of two.
I had a former client who went to Liberty Undergrad and then to a grad program (business school).
I had a former employee who went to, I want to say, Oklahoma Baptist (and yes, when I saw that on a resume, I was very sensitive to - is this someone who is going to proselytize, who won’t work well with our gay employees, etc. - but was pleased to note that he was fine on those dimensions and if he had differing opinions, he kept that to his private life).
I just checked both their LinkedIns and neither of them show those on their profiles, just their (secular) grad schools. Makes you wonder why.</p>
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<p>You keep saying this, but it’s not true. No one objects to their BELIEFS. We are objecting to how those beliefs translate to watered-down and scientifically inaccurate curricula. And we’re not impressed in places where mainstream scientific truth is ignored.</p>
<p>Is this really so? Liberty requires an admissions essay as follows: Liberty University Admissions Essay
Liberty University’s mission is to develop Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact tomorrow’s world.
Provide an essay of 200 to 400 words on the following: How will your personal faith and beliefs contribute to Liberty’s mission to develop Christ-centered leaders?</p>
<p>I think Liberty has the right to admit whoever it wants as a private Christian university. But doesn’t it only admit Christians?</p>
<p>The students I know who go to LU wouldn’t be able to get in to any of those schools (at least the vast majority wouldn’t). Most of the students at our school wouldn’t be able to get in to any of those schools. Only the top students are of that caliber (our val 2 years ago year went to Wheaton).</p>
<p>LU still has its “fit” both academically and otherwise - just like any other school. When I compare grads, it’s same level school to same level school - generally basic state schools or other similar academic levels.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s part of why we’re unimpressed with it. The other part is that the school itself portrays itself a certain way which is unappealing to most in the secular workplace. LU has <em>every</em> right to do so, and <em>every</em> right to accept only Christians or require statements of faith or have whatever restrictive policies they have. That doesn’t mean that I am obligated to like or respect it, though - just not interfere with it.</p>
<p>And this is where I think you’re inaccurately assuming the way you feel about the place is universal. Around here - and everywhere I’ve lived (5 states from big city to rural) - students from LU academic caliber schools have successfully gotten jobs and into grad/prof schools. It doesn’t matter if the school IS LU or local state U or anything of similar caliber.</p>
<p>Evidently in a few places people “need” prestige, but that’s just not true everywhere. I was even at a Top 5 hospital recently and asked the doc where he did his undergrad as I’ve recently become curious with middle son heading pre-med (undergrad info not found of any doc on their website - or at least - not of the docs I looked at). His answer? A really small school you’ve never heard of in a flyover state (he was more specific, but just in case…).</p>
<p>YOU might need prestige and certain values (as do a few others on here), but the vast majority of people do not.</p>
<p>Middle son still chose a Top 30 school because it FIT him and he’s loving it there and doing well. But he just might be in med school later with an LU grad - and that’s ok.</p>
<p>Honey - I’m all over CC arguing <em>against</em> picking schools based on prestige, so don’t paint me as Ivy-or-bust, I’m not like that at all. I <em>live</em> in a state that most people on CC consider flyover.</p>
<p>Well, duh. It’s not as though kids who don’t go to Harvard are all unemployed and can’t get into school. We get that. We happen just not to feel positively about Liberty. That’s ok. I doubt Liberty feels very good about someone like me, as I’m part of the ruination of this country.</p>
<p>^^^ And see, I’m ok with that. Liberty isn’t a fit for my guys either. We’ve never even been to the campus, nor have any desire to go to it. But many of the posts on here from those against LU don’t stop with the “it’s not my cuppa.” They go on to paint the school as a non academic, worthless degree granting institution. This is where it’s just not true and where I’ll step in based upon what I see IRL from grads.</p>
<p>You WERE comparing it to Wheaton, Georgetown, and ND and implying those were “worthy” Christian schools (I’m not disagreeing with that point). It’s not that level school, but neither are tons of other schools kids from our high school choose to go to. Comparing apples to apples I’ve yet to see a noticeable difference. Some pockets might discriminate. Others might find the degree extra appealing. This can go for ANY school pending who is doing the selection/interviewing.</p>
<p>IF LU were as “horrid” as it’s being made out to be by some, grads wouldn’t get hired except perhaps from various Christian places, they wouldn’t get accepted into grad/prof schools, their credits wouldn’t transfer, and there’s no way Forbes would list them in their Best Colleges list at any level. Those things all happen - often - for students with the right stats for those options.</p>
<p>Are they Wheaton? No. Are they a decent school for the right fit student? Sure.</p>
<p>But it HAS that reputation, whether you like it or not. </p>
<p>non academic –> science-denying</p>
<p>worthless degree granting –> thousands of online students; considered a “diploma mill”</p>
<p>And sorry but it is actually a very human (and for some, Christian) reaction to be put off by organizations that discriminate or judge certain types of people–whether they have a legal right to do so or not.</p>
<p>Among a few, I’m sure it does. But I can also point to cases IRL where employers I know won’t look at a resume from a rival school to their Alma mater. I don’t tell students to avoid that school because there are employers who discriminate due to the name… I tell students the exact same thing I’m stating here - check to see where recent grads have gone. It may not be company X. If they want company X, then avoid the school. Check with company X to see where they hire from and go there.</p>
<p>When LU grads no longer get into grad/prof schools or get employed compared to their peers at similar level schools, then I’ll caution against the school using the same advice - see where recent grads have gone… Right now, today, 2013, it’s not happening at a discernible amount.</p>
<p>Creekland, it’s not “a few” people who have a negative, visceral reaction to Liberty. The school is famous for the wrong reasons, which I don’t need to repeat here. I don’t know why you continue to defend it so vigorously.</p>
<p>^^^ Because the facts I see IRL disagree with you? I have no dog in the fight otherwise.</p>
<p>I’m not terribly fond of the employers who won’t interview from a rival school either FWIW.</p>
<p>I’m pretty big on individuals being judged for who they are in person rather than stereotypes anyone puts on them. I’m also a super big believer in live and let live regardless of whether “your” (collective) beliefs align with mine or not.</p>
<p>But I know that’s all in my ideal dream world.</p>