<p>I hope to major in economics and math and I'm an international student. Lets assume that I get into a top 25 ranked LAC or University.</p>
<p>a school doesn’t get you a job. you get yourself a job.</p>
<p>As an international, you need to assess the colleges’ reputations in your home country. Other than 1 year of training, US firms really can’t hire internationals following undergrad. The firm would need to prove they couldn’t find an American to do the job which has become impossible for undergrads and extremely unlikely for most grad students and getting worse every month. Only engineering grads have any real shot and that’s just for a temporary visa and they usually make lower wages than their American peers.</p>
<p>“Only engineering grads have any real shot and that’s just for a temporary visa and they usually make lower wages than their American peers.”</p>
<p>Maybe things have changed, but about nine years ago I had at least five such people working for me, in positions related to quantitative finance in a commodities-type firm. They were MBA’s in finance. Well, one had a science PhD. Several of them moved on to trading, with no evident problem. They were paid based on performance, same as everybody else. The firm liked them because they were smarter than the other people we could attract for that same money, in that locale. Also, due to the visa-sponsorship thing it was harder for them to get recruited away to another firm. To say nobody else was available, which I guess was the required claim, was a crock. But obviously that assertion was not challenged, because there they were.</p>
<p>As a kicker, the firm counted the people who were from Asia as “minorities”, for whoever they reported such things to.</p>
<p>The individuals wanted to do it because they were able to do work that was not available to them in their home country, and were paid far more than they could earn in their home country. I don’t know the details, but there may have been a path that eventually could lead them to be here permanantly.</p>
<p>The particular company found these people, mostly, via recruiting at its local state universities, not at LACs.</p>
<p>The degree won’t “get you” anything.</p>
<p>The way you present yourself in the interviews is what will land you a job. Which environment will aid you in maturing (emotionally, intellectually, socially) and presenting yourself in the most professional and capable light?</p>
<p>A lot of people will say an LAC will give you a better personal growth experience, but each person thrives in different environments.</p>
<p>Once you get below the top10-15 LACs recruiting gets very spotty. It was also heavily skewed to Wall Street and Consulting type firms and that is dead now. I don’t know who else recruits much at LACs.</p>
<p>Mony, things have changed. Used to be if you went to a good school you coudld find a sponsor and stay. Even 5 years ago we could hire internationals pretty freely. No more. Protectionism has set in. And the deal for engineers has gotten ugly, companies cherry picking the best and under paying them. With unemployment what it is now, our counsel is telling us the temporary visas will be cut.</p>