<p>So as I was beginning to think about colleges to apply for and, like most people, I began to ponder upon prestigious colleges (ex. Rice, Brown, etc). However, then I got to thinking about something: For job opportunities after college, is it better to have attended, oh let's say, Harvard for chemical engineering or UT? One is an ivy that everyone knows and respects, while the other is regarded for having one of the best chemical engineering programs. This is just something I think I should consider. Any thoughts on the matter? Those aren't specific colleges I'm looking at; I used them as examples.</p>
<p>That’s an age-old question. I think if you get admitted to a truly elite school, HYPMS, you’ll be fine in the job market regardless of what you major in. After that, focus on individual strengths. For example, a UT chemical engineering major should easily be able to go head to head with a Harvard graduate in the chemical engineering job market. Since Rice has a good engineering reputation, someone would probably be fine there too, but in your example, I think Brown would not necessarily be the best choice if the person was set on chemical engineering (compared to these other options).</p>
<p>Much depends on the specific major, and how committed you are to it. In some professional fields the reputation of the specific program is much more important than the overall reputation of the university. In some cases, all hiring is local, and you simply won’t get a job in that career field unless you have a local degree.</p>
<p>You really do need to find out whether anything like thatt matters for your specific major(s) or not.</p>