• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Brand name education... so what's your take on it, really?

halik

halik

Lifer
This topic comes up from time to time - how much value do you put on the brand name you got your diploma from (if any)??

From my personal experience, going to Michigan is well worth the money (especially with instate tuition) - having the instution-backed reputation opens door places where people no-name places would have hard time getting.

 
Most of my classes in my last 5 terms had 10 people or less and were led by professors who had lots of real wolrd experience. I preferred the small college education I got.
 
prestige and the connections you make with classmates from a "name brand" university can get you advantages in life, but what you do with it determines how you'll end up.
 
Originally posted by: venk
High GPA at No-Name > Avg/Low GPA at Michigan
Click to expand...

That might be true for grad school to some extent, absolutely wrong in corporate world. (whats avg/low gpa?)
If you wan't to get a job at a prestigious company, having a 4.0 from bumblefvck nowhere commuity college won't cut it. I had an internship with a major investment bank this year in NYC and EVERY SINGLE INTERN there came from one of the schools I listed above.
 
Originally posted by: halik
Originally posted by: venk
High GPA at No-Name > Avg/Low GPA at Michigan
Click to expand...

That might be true for grad school to some extent, absolutely wrong in corporate world. (whats avg/low gpa?)
If you wan't to get a job at a prestigious company, having a 4.0 from bumblefvck nowhere commuity college won't cut it.
Click to expand...



<3.5 avg gpa
<3.0 low gpa

Community Colleges and Universities are two different animals.
 
It depends on what you are going to do.

It is true that the education you get at just about any school is the same. You cover the same material, with the same books, and the same work just about anywhere. So graduates from anywhere are employable. If you want a generic job that you can get anywhere, then the school doesn't matter. Think of teaching for example. You can pretty much teach school anywhere in the country and they accept applicants from any college/university.

However, if you want a specific job at a specific company, then you better think twice about where you apply. Many specific companies only hire new grads from a few select schools (typically their local schools). For example, some of my friends wanted to work at Texas Exxon refineries. They had good grades with good degrees, but the Texas Exxon plants hire 99% of their new college grads from local Texas schools. Only one of my friends made it in and ended up in New Jersey instead.

Thus you must often consider geography. A degree from the South Dakota School of Mines is just as good as a degree from MIT if you want a job in South Dakota. If you want a job on the east coast, the MIT degree will open more doors than the South Dakota School of Mines degree.
 
In all honesty there is a difference, especially when considering graduate studies or professional schools.
 
Ok on a serious note, I feel the brand name of the college is worth it. I consider University of Maryland to be a very good school (almost went there), and yet I know many of my friends who go there would never have gotten the internships that I have. The top companies just don't recruit as heavily at state schools. It also depends on what industries you're interested in... brand name schools seem to gear students towards a corporate track while at other schools, recruiting seems to be more diverse and traditional
 
to be honest, i think that it's all good, providing that those institutions actually live up to the hype, i mean you establish a name for the quality of the education you provide, just like a car company develops a name for itself by making good cars or bad cars...
 
Originally posted by: dullard
It depends on what you are going to do.

It is true that the education you get at just about any school is the same. You cover the same material, with the same books, and the same work just about anywhere. So graduates from anywhere are employable. If you want a generic job that you can get anywhere, then the school doesn't matter. Think of teaching for example. You can pretty much teach school anywhere in the country and they accept applicants from any college/university.

However, if you want a specific job at a specific company, then you better think twice about where you apply. Many specific companies only hire new grads from a few select schools (typically their local schools).

Thus you must often consider geography. A degree from the South Dakota School of Mines is just as good as a degree from MIT if you want a job in South Dakota. If you want a job on the east coast, the MIT degree will open more doors than the South Dakota School of Mines degree.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: my thoughts exactly... I find that many employers simply respect the fact that you graduated. certainly a degree is not a hard thing to carry around (the debt may be another matter however! 😉 ) and the benefits of having one are reaped instantly as soon as you get to add the credentials to your resume.
 
Of course people are going to defend the choice that they made, but when it comes down to it, that maize and blue water mark on my degree will mean more to most companies than my GPA. Its no coincidence that many big name companies are setting up or have offices around those "name brand" schools. They know they can find high quality workers there.
 
Originally posted by: venk
Originally posted by: halik
Originally posted by: venk
High GPA at No-Name > Avg/Low GPA at Michigan
Click to expand...

That might be true for grad school to some extent, absolutely wrong in corporate world. (whats avg/low gpa?)
If you wan't to get a job at a prestigious company, having a 4.0 from bumblefvck nowhere commuity college won't cut it.
Click to expand...



<3.5 avg gpa
<3.0 low gpa

Community Colleges and Universities are two different animals.
Click to expand...

In the engineering world pretty much everrything over a 3.0 is good...3.0-3.5 is not average, unless you went to a really easy school. I work for a Fortune 100 and we look for engineers with 3.2 or higher most of the time.
 
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Most of my classes in my last 5 terms had 10 people or less and were led by professors who had lots of real wolrd experience. I preferred the small college education I got.
Click to expand...

I bet you did
 
Honestly your GPA only matters for your first job. After that no one really is going to care, but they WILL care where you went to school. Going to a non-marquee name school isn't going hurt you, but going to a brand name school might give you more of an edge.

With that said, saying you go/went to (insert brand name school) helps you get laid.
 
Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Honestly your GPA only matters for your first job. After that no one really is going to care, but they WILL care where you went to school. Going to a non-marquee name school isn't going hurt you, but going to a brand name school might give you more of an edge.

With that said, saying you go/went to (insert brand name school) helps you get laid.
Click to expand...


Actually, if you have internship/work experience, they value that far more than your GPA. Some interviews I went to they didn't even ask about my GPA but were impressed with my work experience... and here I am now, neffing at my new job 😀
 
Originally posted by: BChico
Originally posted by: venk
Originally posted by: halik
Originally posted by: venk
High GPA at No-Name > Avg/Low GPA at Michigan
Click to expand...

That might be true for grad school to some extent, absolutely wrong in corporate world. (whats avg/low gpa?)
If you wan't to get a job at a prestigious company, having a 4.0 from bumblefvck nowhere commuity college won't cut it.
Click to expand...



<3.5 avg gpa
<3.0 low gpa

Community Colleges and Universities are two different animals.
Click to expand...

In the engineering world pretty much everrything over a 3.0 is good...3.0-3.5 is not average, unless you went to a really easy school. I work for a Fortune 100 and we look for engineers with 3.2 or higher most of the time.
Click to expand...

Engineering is different than humanties. Economics and some of the harder gen studies degrees tend to also fit that criteria.

for those

<3.0 avg
<2.7 low

I went to Michigan btw
 
I had an overall PGA of 2.98 and a 3.33 for comp sci. I went to a pretty well name school but some dumb ass kid from a crappy school with a 3.5+ got hired with me. I felt like his teacher when I was working with him. Not sure how much a brand name school is worth when you first start but I'm pretty sure it with worth something when you move up the ladder.
 
Originally posted by: wildcat86
A degree from Northwestern is a guaranteed six figure salary out of school
Click to expand...

lolz. not to put anyone down, but from the schools mentioned, two of them are in a totally different league from the rest. not to mention that schools like princeton, stanford, yale deserve some of those spots.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top