Elite colleges matter less that you think

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's true. When I hire, I don't look at GPA and sometimes being Ivy league makes me less interested in hiring the person. I'd rather get a scrappy Big Ten grad who I know will put in the time with the low level work to learn, vs an ivy league kid who is spoiled (not that this holds true for every big ten or ivy grad).

Oh you sound like a brilliant hiring manager. That chip on your shoulder is affecting your brain function.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you think I think, but I think anyone who thinks an Ivy League degree is a free pass through life is incredibly naïve. An Ivy League degree will open doors right after college/grad school for that first job. After 5 years or so in a career, the value of the degree approaches meaningless. If you haven’t demonstrated excellence, your mediocrity will reinforce the belief expressed frequently here that Ivy League credentials don’t mean much.

From the long term perspective, the value of an Ivy League degree should be that you receive an extraordinary education and develop important connections, which should help throughout life. But if you fail to nurture those connections and acquire the academic credential at the expense of becoming well rounded you’ll be facing headwinds throughout your career. We’ve all met our share of disgruntled Ivy League grads who just can’t understand why things aren’t working out as they are “supposed to” for Ivy League grads. This frustration is even more common among the CalTech/MIT types who toil under the direction of more charismatic bosses from “lesser” schools. There is a reason that businesses put such a premium on the rare Ivy League grads who played team sports. Evidence of normalcy coupled with academic excellence is a rare commodity.

Spot on.

[Anonymous]

"Elite colleges matter less than you think"
I don't know if that's actually possible.

[Anonymous]

From what I've learned over the past decade in academia, it's that you probably get a better education in middle tier schools. At top schools, the professors are 90% focused on publishing and they put very little into teaching. They either go through the motions or have their TA do everything. It was pretty shocking to me to learn how terrible "great" professors are at actually teaching their students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I've learned over the past decade in academia, it's that you probably get a better education in middle tier schools. At top schools, the professors are 90% focused on publishing and they put very little into teaching. They either go through the motions or have their TA do everything. It was pretty shocking to me to learn how terrible "great" professors are at actually teaching their students.

Depends on the "top" school and the professor. You can't generalize like this. My freshman kid at a "top" school took a class with a world class economist this semester, and even when the guy was away at conferences he Skyped into the class. If you work in economics (as I do), you'd most definitely recognize the name. Yes, most classes at this "top" school have weekly tutorials run by a TA, but the professors teach the classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've learned over the past decade in academia, it's that you probably get a better education in middle tier schools. At top schools, the professors are 90% focused on publishing and they put very little into teaching. They either go through the motions or have their TA do everything. It was pretty shocking to me to learn how terrible "great" professors are at actually teaching their students.

Depends on the "top" school and the professor. You can't generalize like this. My freshman kid at a "top" school took a class with a world class economist this semester, and even when the guy was away at conferences he Skyped into the class. If you work in economics (as I do), you'd most definitely recognize the name. Yes, most classes at this "top" school have weekly tutorials run by a TA, but the professors teach the classes.

Actually, I am an economist and I think our profession is one of the worst. That professor is absolutely an anomaly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I've learned over the past decade in academia, it's that you probably get a better education in middle tier schools. At top schools, the professors are 90% focused on publishing and they put very little into teaching. They either go through the motions or have their TA do everything. It was pretty shocking to me to learn how terrible "great" professors are at actually teaching their students.

Went to a Tier 3'ish undergrad but the professors were new on the teaching ladder, graduated from great schools, and loved educating students - learned a lot.

Went to one of the better business schools, professors were always quoted in the Wall Street Journal, yet for the most part didn't give a crap about teaching.

Naturally, the first school is nowhere near as well thought of as the second, but the education was better. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've learned over the past decade in academia, it's that you probably get a better education in middle tier schools. At top schools, the professors are 90% focused on publishing and they put very little into teaching. They either go through the motions or have their TA do everything. It was pretty shocking to me to learn how terrible "great" professors are at actually teaching their students.

Went to a Tier 3'ish undergrad but the professors were new on the teaching ladder, graduated from great schools, and loved educating students - learned a lot.

Went to one of the better business schools, professors were always quoted in the Wall Street Journal, yet for the most part didn't give a crap about teaching.

Naturally, the first school is nowhere near as well thought of as the second, but the education was better. Go figure.

Business school profs suck. They're all too busy earning $$$ from their outside consulting and research contracts. I had maybe 2-3 good profs in my two years in business school. I'm not sure business school can be compared to graduate school in, say, the sciences or anthropology or literature.

Signed, top-3 business school grad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's true. When I hire, I don't look at GPA and sometimes being Ivy league makes me less interested in hiring the person. I'd rather get a scrappy Big Ten grad who I know will put in the time with the low level work to learn, vs an ivy league kid who is spoiled (not that this holds true for every big ten or ivy grad).

Oh you sound like a brilliant hiring manager. That chip on your shoulder is affecting your brain function.

+1. Wonder if PP always bases her hiring decisions on tired stereotypes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Elite colleges matter less than you think"
I don't know if that's actually possible.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you think I think, but I think anyone who thinks an Ivy League degree is a free pass through life is incredibly naïve. An Ivy League degree will open doors right after college/grad school for that first job. After 5 years or so in a career, the value of the degree approaches meaningless. If you haven’t demonstrated excellence, your mediocrity will reinforce the belief expressed frequently here that Ivy League credentials don’t mean much.

From the long term perspective, the value of an Ivy League degree should be that you receive an extraordinary education and develop important connections, which should help throughout life. But if you fail to nurture those connections and acquire the academic credential at the expense of becoming well rounded you’ll be facing headwinds throughout your career. We’ve all met our share of disgruntled Ivy League grads who just can’t understand why things aren’t working out as they are “supposed to” for Ivy League grads. This frustration is even more common among the CalTech/MIT types who toil under the direction of more charismatic bosses from “lesser” schools. There is a reason that businesses put such a premium on the rare Ivy League grads who played team sports. Evidence of normalcy coupled with academic excellence is a rare commodity.

Spot on.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's true. When I hire, I don't look at GPA and sometimes being Ivy league makes me less interested in hiring the person. I'd rather get a scrappy Big Ten grad who I know will put in the time with the low level work to learn, vs an ivy league kid who is spoiled (not that this holds true for every big ten or ivy grad).

Oh you sound like a brilliant hiring manager. That chip on your shoulder is affecting your brain function.

+1. Wonder if PP always bases her hiring decisions on tired stereotypes.

Haha. I agree. I'm a college career director and I always tell applicants to avoid the HR people and try to work their way around them because some of them have the same dumb ideas as this poster. Oh, let me just hire the dumbest people I can and certainly avoid hiring any Ivy grads...because they are probably too smart and I'd be threatened. I hope this was a troll poster because I can't imagine anyone that pathetic and envious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's true. When I hire, I don't look at GPA and sometimes being Ivy league makes me less interested in hiring the person. I'd rather get a scrappy Big Ten grad who I know will put in the time with the low level work to learn, vs an ivy league kid who is spoiled (not that this holds true for every big ten or ivy grad).

Oh you sound like a brilliant hiring manager. That chip on your shoulder is affecting your brain function.

LOL!

I actually feel sorry for the poor guy. It's gotta suck to go through life that way.

That ivy grad, on the other hand, is not affected in the least, I'm sure. I'm certain he has several offers to pour through. And I'm sure they're much better opportunities, in much better organizations, working with much more impressive people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's true. When I hire, I don't look at GPA and sometimes being Ivy league makes me less interested in hiring the person. I'd rather get a scrappy Big Ten grad who I know will put in the time with the low level work to learn, vs an ivy league kid who is spoiled (not that this holds true for every big ten or ivy grad).

Oh you sound like a brilliant hiring manager. That chip on your shoulder is affecting your brain function.

+1. Wonder if PP always bases her hiring decisions on tired stereotypes.

Haha. I agree. I'm a college career director and I always tell applicants to avoid the HR people and try to work their way around them because some of them have the same dumb ideas as this poster. Oh, let me just hire the dumbest people I can and certainly avoid hiring any Ivy grads...because they are probably too smart and I'd be threatened. I hope this was a troll poster because I can't imagine anyone that pathetic and envious.

Go around HR? I don't think HR would be the ones with those issues. I'd think HR would gladly pass the resume along to the hiring managers. It's the hiring managers who are more likely to be afraid of bringing the smarter, more impressive guy onto his turf. Instant threat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's true. When I hire, I don't look at GPA and sometimes being Ivy league makes me less interested in hiring the person. I'd rather get a scrappy Big Ten grad who I know will put in the time with the low level work to learn, vs an ivy league kid who is spoiled (not that this holds true for every big ten or ivy grad).

Oh you sound like a brilliant hiring manager. That chip on your shoulder is affecting your brain function.

+1. Wonder if PP always bases her hiring decisions on tired stereotypes.

Haha. I agree. I'm a college career director and I always tell applicants to avoid the HR people and try to work their way around them because some of them have the same dumb ideas as this poster. Oh, let me just hire the dumbest people I can and certainly avoid hiring any Ivy grads...because they are probably too smart and I'd be threatened. I hope this was a troll poster because I can't imagine anyone that pathetic and envious.

Go around HR? I don't think HR would be the ones with those issues. I'd think HR would gladly pass the resume along to the hiring managers. It's the hiring managers who are more likely to be afraid of bringing the smarter, more impressive guy onto his turf. Instant threat.

I LOVE this speculative chit chat demonstrating that those commenting know next to nothing about the hiring process as it applies to high power jobs.