For those who watch school rankings - how low to go?

[Anonymous]

When I entered my somewhat rarefied field (not finance, law or consulting) 25ish years ago, fresh out of a non HYP Ivy, everyone was from a Top 20 or similar SLAC. It’s just not the case now. As a hiring manager, I’ve had two Harvard grads flame out and my best performers graduated from GW and SUNY. Between surging costs and the admissions crapshoot, I’m really only looking to see if entry level applicants went to an accredited school that I’ve heard of. I pay a lot of attention to cover letters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the uni level, beyond HYPMS and possibly Wharton for finance, I just don’t think it matters very much at all. I say this as a proud alum of a T20 who loved my time there, but I’m not sure that degree, nor one from G’Town, or Cornell, Brown, or Rice or whatever comparable uni, gave me a world of possibilities that I couldn’t have gotten at PSU or UMD or Clemson. At the end of the day as long as it’s a college most people have heard of (not in a notorious sort of way at least), it should be more a function of what you put into it than anything else.

Why does it matter if you went to one of those schools either? Can you name me one opportunity available to graduates of those schools that is not available to a graduate of Brown, Cornell or Rice? Even the most exclusive firms/jobs have more than those schools on their target hiring list (though, they don't have PSU/UMD/Clemson on all of them and possibly none of them).

Pp here. It may not. I frankly don’t believe in the rarified air of those places.

I think it might be easier for a middle of the class student at those schools to land the “elite” job than it would for a comparable one elsewhere. But most won’t want these so-called “elite” jobs. A Clemson or PSU grad may not land at Goldman Sachs or Jane street, but they can absolutely end up at the Philly or Atlanta office of a nation I banking or consulting firm.

So, you agree with me. There are opportunities available at places like GS or Jane Street that aren’t available to the PSU or Clemson grad.

I imagine many Clemson or PSU grads would in fact love to have one of these “elite” jobs if the opportunity were available.

DP but while these opportunities may not be available to people from every school, that list of schools is often a lot longer these days than most people think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I entered my somewhat rarefied field (not finance, law or consulting) 25ish years ago, fresh out of a non HYP Ivy, everyone was from a Top 20 or similar SLAC. It’s just not the case now. As a hiring manager, I’ve had two Harvard grads flame out and my best performers graduated from GW and SUNY. Between surging costs and the admissions crapshoot, I’m really only looking to see if entry level applicants went to an accredited school that I’ve heard of. I pay a lot of attention to cover letters.

This.