<p>In my college search at first I only was considering big universities, but now I am becoming very interested in LACs. How do top tier universities (Ivy league, etc.) compare to LACs like Amherst, Swarthmore, Williams, Haverford, etc.. in terms of prestige? I've heard that students who go to top-tier universities basically have jobs waiting for them when they graduate, but is this the same for top-tier LACs? I most of the advantages and disadvantages of both top tier universities and top tier LACs, but is there any major discrepancy in terms of how easy it is to get a good job right out of college?</p>
<p>I could be mistaken but top recruiters go to places like Williams, Amherst, Colgate, etc too. The only real downside is that you won't be recruited for an engineering firm coming out of Williams. As just a guess, I think Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, and Pomona are somewhere near Columbia, Duke, Dartmouth for prestige. One like Haverford would be just a touch below that (not by much).</p>
<p>thanks....anybody else??</p>
<p>brownieboy: You raise some very interesting questions, ones that many students your age are wondering about. Here's the answer, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise:</p>
<p>(1) You are 100% wrong if you are assuming that grads of prestigious (top tier) colleges have jobs waiting for them. Employers recruiting on Ivy campuses are looking for the "best and brightest" graduates. </p>
<p>Example: The investment banking firm that recruits on Ivy campuses collects resumes of interested candidates. They will look at your GPA (and it better be quite high!), your extracurriculars, internships you have completed, and your
high school SAT scores (yes, it's true!). A small number of those who submit a resume are actually offered an on-campus interview. Then, if they are really interested in you, they will offer you an interview at their company.
Then, you might or might not be offered a position.</p>
<p>The interesting thing is this: While the investment banking firms are recruiting at the Ivies, they are also recruiting at the LAC's you mentioned
AND they are also recruiting at schools like Holy Cross, Villanova, Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Colgate, state universities, etc. etc. etc. Yes, Ivies don't have a corner on the investment banking market! They are looking for the "best and brightest" and there are plenty who do not attend the "elite" colleges.</p>
<p>The Ivy grads with GPA's below a 3.0 generally do not have jobs "just waiting for them" at graduation.</p>
<p>(2) A lot depends on the type of job you want. Depending on your career goals, the "elite" schools may be good for you or they may be terrible for you.</p>
<p>(3) Go to a school where you are going to excel, where you are going to stand out, and where you'll have the most opportunity to develop a great resume over the four years. The "average Joe" at Dartmouth may be the standout at Holy Cross. The standout at Holy Cross may be much more impressive to an employer than the "average Joe" from Dartmouth.</p>
<p>The bottom line is this: It is the characteristics you bring to the college (intelligence, motivation, character, etc.) that will have much to do with your future professional success, while where you go to school will have much less to do with your future success.</p>
<p>Most of all, pick a place where you'll be happy. Don't pick a college simply to please or impress others.</p>
<p>It all depends on the school. Many LACs make up for the perceived recruiting disadvantage by having a much more involved network of alums willing to help with internships or job placement. And which to pick (U or LAC) depends on your child. Mine (NMSQT finalist) is thriving at a very small LAC after transferring from a top University where she really only knew her art professors, had grad students for "core" subjects she was required to take as a freshman, ran out of courses in one area of interest after only one year, and felt requirements within her major were too restricting. She transferred to the most liberal of all LACs and now can set her own curriculum, meets with professors in personal conferences on a regular basis, combines courses to get what she wants, and doesn't even know what a graduate teaching assistant or a major is. It's not for everyone, but it works for her.</p>
<p>Proud Dad, is your daughter at Hampshire?</p>
<p>^ That's the first school I thought of, too, Catfish!!! XDDDDDDD I was nosy and she goes to Sarah Lawrence, though (right?) Good for her, my sister was accepted there and it was her first choice but she couldn't go because they didn't offer any aid XD Hopefully I'm correct in the assumption that they only offer need based, I'll feel rather silly if I'm completely wrong... xD</p>
<p>
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Proud Dad, is your daughter at Hampshire?
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Nope, Sarah Lawrence is correct. No, we don't pay the full rate. They were very generous with grants and aid to match the university she transferred from but she did lose the NMSQT scholarship by transferring.</p>