Higher ranked SLAC most people haven’t heard of VS. lower ranked big public everyone has heard of?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kind of employer who knows Davidson is the kind of employer that DD should pursue. Undoubtedly, it'll be more prestigious and the people that she'll be working with will be running around in more elite circles than those who have only heard of schools like Penn State. Harsh, but true.

I hate this mentality. Your resume will first be reviewed by a recruiter who probably went to a big state school and was in a sorority. It doesn’t matter if your eventual boss knows your school, if the sorority girl doesn’t pass you along, you’ll never have the chance to do an interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kind of employer who knows Davidson is the kind of employer that DD should pursue. Undoubtedly, it'll be more prestigious and the people that she'll be working with will be running around in more elite circles than those who have only heard of schools like Penn State. Harsh, but true.

I hate this mentality. Your resume will first be reviewed by a recruiter who probably went to a big state school and was in a sorority. It doesn’t matter if your eventual boss knows your school, if the sorority girl doesn’t pass you along, you’ll never have the chance to do an interview.

I think most people think the school brand is far more important than it really is. Sure, big time consulting, finance have their target schools. But for most jobs IME, it's what you did at school, not the name. I regularly hire and I don't much care where someone went to school. Basically, if a college is good enough to end up in the Princeton or Fiske guide that's going to be good enough and that's been the case everywhere I've worked. I look at the the projects they did in their classes, the research, the internships (and I hire interns and still don't care about the college).

I've had interns, full-time direct reports, and coworkers from Ivys, big state Us, LACs, and served on interview panels for different roles. I see good performers and the occasional meh one from all types of schools. The only time the school name raises a note to probe in interviews is I'm more alert for an entitlement attitude when interviewing Ivy students. I've had some issues with that in the past so it's something I keep an eye out for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s better long term? If price could be taken off the table, what’s better — a SLAC (like Davidson, Lafayette) or big, lower prestige public U? My DC thinks both types could be a good fit. I keep thinking there is a benefit to going to a big school that has so many more alumni, resources. The whole country has heard of it vs. going to a good SLAC but having to explain where/what it is to most people. Of course, each SLAC is different but what are some pros and cons?

(Also on my mind because my brother has to explain to people that the little SLAC my niece goes to is a “good” liberal arts school but he never has to explain about my nephew at Penn State….and, boy, do the alumni love Penn State.)

Yes we do! Love to interview and have colleagues and instant connections from my school. That said, this I would imagine happens with all places it's just that you are less likely, due to size, to run into someone from Davidson or Lafayette on a regular basis (e.g., DH attended small school so it's far and few between).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Also on my mind because my brother has to explain to people that the little SLAC my niece goes to is a “good” liberal arts school but he never has to explain about my nephew at Penn State….and, boy, do the alumni love Penn State.)

Do people really take this into consideration when they are looking at schools?

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The kind of employer who knows Davidson is the kind of employer that DD should pursue. Undoubtedly, it'll be more prestigious and the people that she'll be working with will be running around in more elite circles than those who have only heard of schools like Penn State. Harsh, but true.



I hate this mentality. Your resume will first be reviewed by a recruiter who probably went to a big state school and was in a sorority. It doesn’t matter if your eventual boss knows your school, if the sorority girl doesn’t pass you along, you’ll never have the chance to do an interview.

+1. Also, my Penn State friends also went on to Yale and Chicago for for law school, so I do think they are running around in elitle circles with that PP above

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why but kids at SLACS seem much more likely to take a semester abroad than students at big state schools, if that is of interest. Was an incredible experience for my son and many of his high school friends from other SLACS were scattered across Europe first semester of Junior year, even those who played D3 spring sports.

Blah blah blah. You can study abroad from any school. Easily. One of my kids did it from a SLAC. Two others did it from State U. I did it from a Catholic U way back in the day.

My hunch is that a higher proportion of SLAC kids study abroad only because they feel like they’re suffocating in their small environments and feel the need to get away.

NP. I find your bizarre hatred of SLACs so fascinating. You haunt these boards, often posting immediately when the word SLAC is mentioned, and have a pretty distinctive and identifiable writing style. What happened to you that has made you so obsessed? Did your child have a bad experience?

I went to HYS/big state schools and my kids look like they’re headed to the same, so it’s not personal. I’m just kind of fascinated by how someone becomes so crazy about one style of school.

You’re confusing me with someone else. As I said, one of my kids went to a (top-ranked) liberal arts college. I’m just saying that it’s baloney that one of the advantages of liberal arts colleges is study abroad, because it isn’t. You don’t have to make up the benefits.

That detail is relevant and important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kind of employer who knows Davidson is the kind of employer that DD should pursue. Undoubtedly, it'll be more prestigious and the people that she'll be working with will be running around in more elite circles than those who have only heard of schools like Penn State. Harsh, but true.

I hate this mentality. Your resume will first be reviewed by a recruiter who probably went to a big state school and was in a sorority. It doesn’t matter if your eventual boss knows your school, if the sorority girl doesn’t pass you along, you’ll never have the chance to do an interview.

I think most people think the school brand is far more important than it really is. Sure, big time consulting, finance have their target schools. But for most jobs IME, it's what you did at school, not the name. I regularly hire and I don't much care where someone went to school. Basically, if a college is good enough to end up in the Princeton or Fiske guide that's going to be good enough and that's been the case everywhere I've worked. I look at the the projects they did in their classes, the research, the internships (and I hire interns and still don't care about the college).

I've had interns, full-time direct reports, and coworkers from Ivys, big state Us, LACs, and served on interview panels for different roles. I see good performers and the occasional meh one from all types of schools. The only time the school name raises a note to probe in interviews is I'm more alert for an entitlement attitude when interviewing Ivy students. I've had some issues with that in the past so it's something I keep an eye out for.

+1

My DC went to an often-maligned-on-DCUM LAC and made the most of her time there with research, internships, etc., and is doing very well now at a well-known company earning a good income and enjoying the friendships from college.

It's about who you are and what you've done.

[Anonymous]

NP in this thread.

OP: Either choice is fine depending upon the student's preferences and finances.

Astonished at the crazed posts made by LAC supporters. Relax, it is just a discussion board--not a final judgment.

[Anonymous]

SLAC for graduate, medical and law schools, large public flagship for industry.

Vast majority of SLACs are too small to have meaningful career centers and industry recruitment.

There are several that look impressive for elite jobs - Williams, Amherst, etc. But going to an equivalent university like Brown or Dartmouth will provide better recruitment and career center support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kind of employer who knows Davidson is the kind of employer that DD should pursue. Undoubtedly, it'll be more prestigious and the people that she'll be working with will be running around in more elite circles than those who have only heard of schools like Penn State. Harsh, but true.

I hate this mentality. Your resume will first be reviewed by a recruiter who probably went to a big state school and was in a sorority. It doesn’t matter if your eventual boss knows your school, if the sorority girl doesn’t pass you along, you’ll never have the chance to do an interview.

I think most people think the school brand is far more important than it really is. Sure, big time consulting, finance have their target schools. But for most jobs IME, it's what you did at school, not the name. I regularly hire and I don't much care where someone went to school. Basically, if a college is good enough to end up in the Princeton or Fiske guide that's going to be good enough and that's been the case everywhere I've worked. I look at the the projects they did in their classes, the research, the internships (and I hire interns and still don't care about the college).

I've had interns, full-time direct reports, and coworkers from Ivys, big state Us, LACs, and served on interview panels for different roles. I see good performers and the occasional meh one from all types of schools. The only time the school name raises a note to probe in interviews is I'm more alert for an entitlement attitude when interviewing Ivy students. I've had some issues with that in the past so it's something I keep an eye out for.

Very reasonable post, and I agree entirely, including the issues with entitlement.

[Anonymous]

Go for the best fit, OP. That's the solution. Prestige matters not at all. Fit is everything. College is like a good pair of running shoes. The right fit, and you're off!! Worked for my kids. They went to Big U and unknown SLACs, and are doing fine now. I wanted them to be happy in college, and they were. Lots of kids are miserable. Don't forget that. Mine weren't. Fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP in this thread.

OP: Either choice is fine depending upon the student's preferences and finances.

Astonished at the crazed posts made by LAC supporters. Relax, it is just a discussion board--not a final judgment.

The only crazy posts are from the unhinged anti-LAC people. They are so weird.

I didn’t go to one and my kids aren’t in one, so I find their vitriol kind of fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP in this thread.

OP: Either choice is fine depending upon the student's preferences and finances.

Astonished at the crazed posts made by LAC supporters. Relax, it is just a discussion board--not a final judgment.

The only crazy posts are from the unhinged anti-LAC people. They are so weird.

I didn’t go to one and my kids aren’t in one, so I find their vitriol kind of fascinating.

It really is fascinating. I just don't understand it. Different things work for different people. I have one at a big state U, one focused on applying to LACs. I'm sure they will both do fine. Yes, the state U has a ton of people who know the name but he still has to focus on job searching, don't just rely on on-campus recruiting, be focused in his work, make sure he's communicating his relevant projects. For DD, her favorite LAC has a strong program for her specific interest and a strong track record of job placement in that field.

I went to a mid-sized, undergrad-focused public. DH lived at home at went to the local regional U. We've both had good careers and never felt held back by the school name on the resume. I mainly got my first job because my college required a senior project and mine directly related to what I ended up doing in my first job. That kind of substantive capstone project is something I wanted my kids to look for and they will get it at both the big U and a LAC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLAC for graduate, medical and law schools, large public flagship for industry.

Vast majority of SLACs are too small to have meaningful career centers and industry recruitment.

There are several that look impressive for elite jobs - Williams, Amherst, etc. But going to an equivalent university like Brown or Dartmouth will provide better recruitment and career center support.

+1

This poster makes an important point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLAC for graduate, medical and law schools, large public flagship for industry.

Vast majority of SLACs are too small to have meaningful career centers and industry recruitment.

There are several that look impressive for elite jobs - Williams, Amherst, etc. But going to an equivalent university like Brown or Dartmouth will provide better recruitment and career center support.

To be clear: Attending an SLAC is fine for those planning on going to graduate or professional schools, but not so good for those hoping to secure employment immediately after graduation from a small school. Exceptions are Williams & Amherst and a few other SLACs.