Question

<p>So I had a question on how businesses look at colleges. I am thinking about going to the top state school in Missouri, Truman State. I was also thinking about going to Fontbonne or Lindenwood, lesser known colleges. I am hoping to go into business management or marketing, but had a question. How important is it to get a degree from a specific college? I mean Truman has only offered me about $3500 while Fontbonne has offered me about $15000. I would rather go to Truman, if only they gave more. If businesses look more at Truman though, I would rather go there regardless of cost. Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>It varies widely depending on the specific business. Some business cultures and hiring practices focus heavily on the school; in my experience, most don't, in the hiring process, interviewers are going to be far more concerned with your resume with all of your achievements, how you present yourself, how you communicate, personal presence, some evidence of being able to work well with others, and, these days, credit reports (evidence of responsible management of money), and references. </p>

<p>Forget about the name on the degree - what do you like about the three colleges, and which of them seems to most closely fit what you would like to study, and what you want to do in college?</p>

<p>Where do you live? Why do you love Truman? Where do you want to live after graduation?</p>

<p>Call up the schools and ask to speak to the business departments. Tell them what sort of job you hope to have when you graduate--and ask them what resources their school offers. Also, internships are very valuable when it comes to getting jobs after graduation. Ask the business school departments what sort of internships are available. Also, think about junior year aborad--does the Fontbonne schoalrship cover semesters in London? That might be very worthwhile.</p>

<p>Go to Truman, I had been looking into it and it looks pretty good.</p>

<p>smoothwhite, there are some major differences between Fontbonne or Lindenwood and Truman State unrelated to the cost of attendance, and they could be significant. Truman State, as you know but other posters don't, is in a small town isolated from any other towns of any size. Many, many of the students drive to Columbia or St. Louis, regularly, for entertainment, and that is a 3-4 hour round-trip. If you haven't already done so, talk at length with some students who have attended both schools. Four years is a long time to be somewhere you don't want to be. (I'm not trying to detract from Truman State; they have done marvels with their academic program and have been successful at attracting many of the best in-state students away from Univ. of MO-Columbia. Nonetheless, I have met more than a few kids who started at Truman State and left because it was too isolated for them. Where are you from?)</p>

<p>I apologize if that is off-topic. I can't really address the merits of the business programs.</p>

<p>I don't know anything about the schools you mention, but I would think that the ability to get good internships would be most helpful for a business major and I would be concerned about good internships if the school was isolated</p>

<p>I agree with midmo. Am from STL and went to KU. Fontbonne is right down the street from WUSTL and in a great part of the city Lindenwood is in the burbs but still close to everything. Truman is very isolated. I would guess that a lot of the advice others are giving w/ regard to internships might be more accessible in STL than at Truman but you won't know until you ask. Good luck!</p>

<p>Truman State is well known for its undergraduate focus in the midwest. Fontbonne or Lindenwood are really local colleges. Their academic quality is not as good as that in Truman State. I don't know if you have considered SLU --- the admission standard is not too high, but you still get good education and being in St. Louis. I don't know the tuition there though.</p>