<p>Occasionally I read about the benefits of a school's alumni network. I'm just wondering how many CC parents, or thier sons and daughters, have directly benefited from an alumni network. I'm not talking legacy points for admission though. If you have please indicate how and whether the alumni network was associated with a private or a public college.
Just curious... as the "alumni network" it is often mentioned as one of the "intangibles" associated with some of the more expensive institutions. Should alumni connections be figured into the benfits (COA) of a particular school?</p>
<p>I hijacked the d's username again. I graduated from a top LAC and can tell you that the alumni network has had a huge impact on my career path and opportunities. It also looks like that same network is going to help my d get some very unique and prestigious internship opportunities. I have never contacted and alumni that wasn't happy to help.</p>
<p>I'll start. The daughter of a co-worker graduated from Mount Holyoke. She went for an interview with a very prestigious firm in Boston. After the interview one of the three panal interviewers approached her, introduced herself as a Mount Holyoke grad, and told my co worker's daughter how well she thought she had done. Soon thereafter she was given the job. My coworker believes that MH alumnus got his D that job. Tough to know, but he has no doubts.</p>
<p>My Ivy alum network was extremely helpful when I lived in D.C., and was somewhat helpful when I lived in Michigan, though it seemed that in Michigan, the large University of Michigan network would have been more helpful.</p>
<p>In the other parts of the country where I have lived, which included variuos parts of the South, the flagship state U or wannabe flagship state u -- even if not a top 50-- would have provided a much more helpful network than my Harvard one simply because of the lack of lots of Harvard grads in the areas that I lived (which included some big cities), and the fact that the local people -- including professionals -- regarded Ivy grads as outsiders, while flagship state U grads were regarded as the ultimate in insiders.</p>
<p>OKay, mine got me an interview and a job. Another alum wrote my d a glowing recomemendation to a prestigious university where he attended Grad School. My d has an internship this summer at a large, metropolitan county courthouse working in the D.A.'s office compliments of the shortstop of my college softball team. During the school year d has a job at a large, well known law firm. All of this should make her law school applications look pretty good, plus she loves it. She cannot wait to get into the courthouse this summer!</p>
<p>Oberlin College, attended by my H and myself, encourages alumni to offer career internships during its Winter Term. We have had wonderful interns, whom we house and feed for a month in return for career shadowing in our fields. Some alumni offer free housing and board for winter interns who pursue opportunities elsewhere in their communities. For us, it's a great way to fill up empty bedrooms and entertain our youngest child still at home. For the students, I hope the experiences prove valuable.</p>
<p>I got my first architecture job through a Columbia connection. Harvard alumni have never gotten me a job, but the name has helped at least twice. Now all my work comes via word of mouth.</p>
<p>Got my first job out of college through my Dad's Harvard roomate who was a theatrical agent in London. Got my first full-time job after being a stay at home mom, in a field in which I had no actual experience (software/hardware) because when I sent in my resume they liked the fact that it said Princeton on it even though I was 40 and hadn't worked full time in 10 years. Doesn't really count as the network though, more like the horrible p-word (prestige).</p>
<p>My other jobs I've had to get via pavement pounding (early on), high-tech recruiters, and finally just my own developed network of people wanting to take me with them when they start companies.</p>
<p>My d got a summer job working for one of my LAC college friends. Another son of a college friend got a part time job at the same place. But I'm not sure that the private LAC connection was any better than it would have been if all 3 of us dads had gone to big state U.</p>
<p>I'm sure, though, that one of my professors from my LAC helped me get in to a top graduate school program.</p>
<p>people get VERY excited to learn about connections from smaller, less known schools</p>
<p>Neither my undergrad or my grad school have ever helped me get jobs, other than being prestigious on my resume. Looks like I'm in the minority.</p>
<p>Besides the HYP alumni, schools such as Duke, Notre Dame, Dartmouth, Williams, Holy Cross and Colgate are known for very strong career networking. All of those schools also boast some of the highest alumni giving rates(50%).</p>
<p>Based on this limited sampling it seems mostly Ivy and the 25 high end privates do well by thier alumni network. No surprise. The same places have 90 plus acceptance rates for thier grad school applicants and graduate 85 to 90 percent of thier students in FOUR years. If you add a fifth year to the cost of a public and conclude the alumni network will only be of limited or no value... the public seems less of a bargain. That is to say less of a bargain for those who may find the high end privates (Ivy, Baby Ivy, Top 25 LAC's) on the bubble of affordability.</p>
<p>In 35 years since graduating from Williams, I have lived on the east coast, in the middle, and on the West Coast, and in Europe and in Asia. In all of that time, I have never had a single employer or potential employer who knew that the school existed. The closest I ever got was a Philadelphia employer who kept telling folks that I came from William & Mary. I did try to use the actual services once, but to little effect, but I would note that this is a long time ago, and that most good colleges have majorly upgraded these services.</p>
<p>I have gotten major mileage out of my UChicago graduate degree, but not at all from networking. To be honest, when I've heard it working, it is almost always for the first job. Thereafter, not much. However, where I live now, even post-first job, UWashington, Washington State, and, to a lesser extent, BYU will be highly valued by some, especially on Saturdays. </p>
<p>I can't say whether it helped me get into grad school directly, as there was an intermediate school (Oxford), and Williams had provided a fellowship for it, for which I am forever grateful.</p>
<p>I have founded two companies, many investors have come from alumni, and from networking based on relationships of alumni to others. S has had several intern offers from alumni and already has received invitations to check back after graduation if he needs a job. Two came from chance meetings on a plane; he has even kept in touch with both who are interested in his progress. I get calls from other alumni, students, and faculty and am always glad to do what I can. I'm sure this is true for most alumni networks.</p>
<p>nightingale - I don't think you can automatically discount the value of a public school network. It really varies. I went to a relatively low ranked state school with very low school spirit/pride. I got NOTHING from the alumni network. But for schools like WIS, or UT, or PSU, I think the network can be of tremendous value. I live in PA and work quite a bit in NJ - and know quite a few PSU alums. By in large, they are absolutely in LOVE with their alma-mater and I've seen internships and interviews arranged based on these connnections. It seems counter to what you would normally believe - I mean there are SO many grads, how could it make a difference? But from what I see, it does. And I think it's all linked back to the incredible pride these students have.
Just my guess though - coming from a place that did nothing for me!</p>
<p>So how bad would not having a network be for students graduating from a brand new school such as Olin Engineering? Would anybody say the lack of an alumi network should come into play when decicding to attend there versus say a PSU?</p>
<p>Out of five jobs, four of them have come my way through alumni of USC who either own the office or were pretty high up in the office. The one that wasn't with an alum of USC was an internship that was arranged through the USC School of Architecture. So yeah, so far the Trojan Family has been pretty good to me.</p>
<p>Northwestern and Wesleyan connections have helped me in the entertainment business. A LOT.</p>
<p>a fellow smith alum (10 yrs older than me) gave me great advice about where to apply to law school. i ended up at the same place she's attending, and she's now my roommate! i think i made the right decision in coming to school here and it's been great getting to know her.</p>
<p>when applying for summer jobs, i've done several informational interviews with smithies at different firms--it can't guarantee you a job, but it was a good way to learn more about my options and the culture of different employers.</p>