Where you go to college doesn’t matter. What you do when you get there does!

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend the book Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be by Frank Bruni.

https://www.amazon.com/Where-You-Not-Who-Youll/dp/1455532681/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, but I've personally witnessed job candidates have doors open at the sight of the Ivy name on their resume. In multiple different fields.

The brand value is real, and wishing it weren't so doesn't change reality.

You're mistaken. It wasn't the name of the school on the resume, it was what the student did while there. OP isn't saying the same isn't true for elite colleges (I hope!).

Oh, and if I'm wrong and someone is hiring based on where students went to college only, please do us the courtesy of divulging whether it's a publicly traded company so we can avoid it like the plague.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was totally predictable from a mile away — who wants to hire a humanities major with no relevant internships? Don’t get why these Ivy kids just expect the name on their diploma to do all the heavy lifting. IIRC there was a poster on the jobs forum (“Daughter Ruining Career Prospects”) who was facing a similar dilemma. That’s just embarrassing

Actually a lot of people. They are the only ones who know how to learn and apply disparate knowledge in a variety of circumstances and they are the only ones who know how to communicate effectively.

+ 0.5 I was with you until you said they're the only ones who know how to communicate. There are many STEM grads who are also extremely talented at sharing their knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

This child needs a Ph.D. before she knows whether she can make it. If she doesn't, she could teach in the public schools. It's a respectable job that has job security and great benefits, and there is opportunity to supplement teaching income with tutoring.

It would be sad to see such a bright girl end up as a public school teacher.

How sad that you feel that way. What could be more important than educating our kids?

[Anonymous]

So basically you have an issue with ivies and certain majors and with people who don’t follow your advice? Any other anecdotal stories?

[Anonymous]

There's some truth to what the OP is saying - not every Ivy Leaguer does well professionally, and by the same token there are tons of people from schools that aren't super competitive who do exceptionally well in every field of life. I went to an Ivy and I'm outearned by my HS classmates who were total stoners and took the 5-year plan at a non-flagship state school. That's no surprise to anyone and even though most UMC are aware of this fact, it does not stop them (us) from doing everything we can to get our kids to top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

It's great that some people follow paths that are not for you, OP. You should respect that. The world needs all sorts of professions in it. Why is everything about money for you? Are you THAT materialistic? Is it the only scale by which you measure people's worth? Did you marry for money, perchance? Are you only steering your kids towards professions that earn the most money?

And yet you're on here telling us that the type of college doesn't matter. But you think half the majors out there are crap.

Stop pretending you're open-minded. You're just a gold-digger.

OP here. I don’t have generational wealth. Money is important!

And yes, I told my kid that I would only pay for college if they were pre-med or pre-law or majored in STEM or accounting/finance.

Are you paying for their med school or law school? BTW...Comparative Literature or Philosophy are pre-law (i.e., there are unlimited pathways to law school), so it sounds like your kid just needs to tell you they plan to go to law school and you will leave them alone.

[Anonymous]

Here we go again taking about how humanities and liberal arts majors can’t make a living. Can we not?

[Anonymous]

Ivy League lit major works the the PE firm which owns our company. She is 23 and probably makes $200k+ a year. LOTS of companies just hire smart people. Would they hire a Literature major from Maryland or William & Mary, no, but get your degree from Princeton and be ambitious and nothing is unattainable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe your neighbor did not listen to your advice. You sound . . . Great. Do your friends and neighbors know you are stalking and judging their kids? Get a new hobby.

+1

Also: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/philosophers-dont-get-much-respect-but-their-earnings-dont-suck/

[Anonymous]

Major in CS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ivy League lit major works the the PE firm which owns our company. She is 23 and probably makes $200k+ a year. LOTS of companies just hire smart people. Would they hire a Literature major from Maryland or William & Mary, no, but get your degree from Princeton and be ambitious and nothing is unattainable.

Wrong English majors are in high demand.

They can write.

My DD VT English major out of college six figures .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, but I've personally witnessed job candidates have doors open at the sight of the Ivy name on their resume. In multiple different fields.

The brand value is real, and wishing it weren't so doesn't change reality.

+1, places where comparative lit majors land on their feet. Generic state school is where these majors are worthlesss.

Median Social Studies major at Harvard makes $52k/year. Not exactly “landing on their feet”

For a new college grad (not in CS or engineering), is that so low?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ivy League lit major works the the PE firm which owns our company. She is 23 and probably makes $200k+ a year. LOTS of companies just hire smart people. Would they hire a Literature major from Maryland or William & Mary, no, but get your degree from Princeton and be ambitious and nothing is unattainable.

Wrong English majors are in high demand.

They can write.

My DD VT English major out of college six figures .

Correction noted. The PE firms are pretty snobby about the schools they hire from in general regardless of major but your point taken.

[Anonymous]

OP - you sound like a busy body. Stop worrying about how others choose to live their lives.