It Does Not Matter Where You Go to College

[Anonymous]

With Senior year for HS'ers kicking off, I just want get this spiel off my chest and hopefully ease the stress of a lot of parents (and their DS/DDs). In terms of your future career prospects it matters very little where you go to college. You might say, "But the Ivy Leaguers [or equivalent prestige] get the best jobs, make the most money, advance the most quickly" and so on. There's a lot of truth to this. HOWEVER, it is not because these kids went to Ivy League colleges. It's because they were smart and driven enough to get into them (and graduate from them) in the first place.

Now don't get me wrong, it is definitely important, as far as career prospects go, to GO to college and to work hard and do well there. But other than working as a first-year analyst at an investment bank (which would be terrible for most people) there are few jobs where a going to an Ivy League is going to be a prerequisite.

What I think is much more important - and what no one gives enough thought to - is what their major is going to be. That actually has a much bigger determinant on career prospects than where one attends college. I.e., vastly different outcomes for engineering/economics/social work/English

[Anonymous]

It's not just career. Some people meet their spouses in college. College provides a great filter.

[Anonymous]

But it still puts you in a certain box forever. It only matters how much you care about that. Your network starts with your college. Again, depends how much you see the value of that.
I don't think Ivy is the only way. Lots of other colleges will give networks that bring lifelong benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With Senior year for HS'ers kicking off, I just want get this spiel off my chest and hopefully ease the stress of a lot of parents (and their DS/DDs). In terms of your future career prospects it matters very little where you go to college. You might say, "But the Ivy Leaguers [or equivalent prestige] get the best jobs, make the most money, advance the most quickly" and so on. There's a lot of truth to this. HOWEVER, it is not because these kids went to Ivy League colleges. It's because they were smart and driven enough to get into them (and graduate from them) in the first place.

Now don't get me wrong, it is definitely important, as far as career prospects go, to GO to college and to work hard and do well there. But other than working as a first-year analyst at an investment bank (which would be terrible for most people) there are few jobs where a going to an Ivy League is going to be a prerequisite.

What I think is much more important - and what no one gives enough thought to - is what their major is going to be. That actually has a much bigger determinant on career prospects than where one attends college. I.e., vastly different outcomes for engineering/economics/social work/English

OP -- I would change your point slightly and then I would agree. It does not have to matter where you go to college. You can launch from anywhere and be a big or small as life takes you. There is no limit to going anywhere.

But . . . at the same time there are more pathways the better the school and certainly in the Ivys and the top schools. There are more ways to launch to get to where you want to be. Doesn't mean you can't get there from somewhere else. Just that there are more routes. May be easier or maybe not. But more paths are better than less.

Agree on majors but just note your better English majors at Ivys and top schools are getting great jobs if they want them. Not true when you go down the food chain so I agree you need to pick carefully when out of the top schools.

[Anonymous]

It depends on your major. My husband went to a no-name school and is doing better than my ivy league doctor sibling but for other professions where you go is important. For what I do, it wasn't important but what was, was that they had the major I needed.

[Anonymous]

it's, basicially, just something to do for a few years after HS and before getting serious about life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not just career. Some people meet their spouses in college. College provides a great filter.

[Anonymous]

Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

Also, are you 91 years old? because your sentiments sounds as if you might be a great grandpapa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But it still puts you in a certain box forever. It only matters how much you care about that. Your network starts with your college. Again, depends how much you see the value of that.
I don't think Ivy is the only way. Lots of other colleges will give networks that bring lifelong benefits.

💯

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

This is true. Best to avoid places that might turn your kid into a McKinsey clown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

This is true. Best to avoid places that might turn your kid into a McKinsey clown.

I would do McKinsey. They end up as CEOs everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

Also, are you 91 years old? because your sentiments sounds as if you might be a great grandpapa

No this is true. A similar class at Princeton is not the same as at GWU and is not the same at UMD and is not the same at Towson. The rigor is less, the course material is not the same, and the students are not the same which is a big deal. So yes this is all true.

Still can rule the world from Towson if you have it in you. Just not as likely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

This is true. Best to avoid places that might turn your kid into a McKinsey clown.

I would do McKinsey. They end up as CEOs everywhere.

Yes, we definitely need to churn out more drones to r@pe the environment and the working class simultaneously so some mom has bragging rights

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not this again.

Yes, it actually does matter where you go to college, unless your claim is that all institutions of higher ed are exactly the same with the same people and in the same location and the same lineup of professors and curriculum.

No one would be stupid enough to claim that

OP Here: I'm not claiming that they are all exactly the same. I'm saying that it doesn't matter much at all for career success; the quality of the student and the effort they put into college will be far more determinative. As will the choice of major. Obviously saying it doesn't matter at all is mildly hyperbolic which I acknowledged in my OP with respect to finance.

To respond to another point - of course, you must go to a place that you will be happy spending four years at. But it's a very rare person (I would think) where that would be an Ivy.

For myself: I did go to an Ivy League school, and I ended up going to law school anyway, so while I had a nice time, it wasn't "worth" it in terms of career prospects.