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[quote=Anonymous]Yes, I think connections you get from college are helpful, and I would advise my children to spend serious effort in getting to know their classmates and professors. However, I don't think it matters which college you get them from.

I went to an Ivy. DH went to a state school. We went to the same high school, so I think we are an interesting case study. We both relied on our college networks to get our first jobs, but our current-day network is a mix of high school friends, college friends, work friends, and most importantly, 2nd-order connections from each of those groups.

If you are a good networker, it won't particularly matter what kind of base you start off with - you'll be good at hopping friend-of-friends. If you don't have networking skills, then the college you go to is crucial, because you'll rely more on 1st-order connections and official channels. Of course, networking is a skill that can be learned just like anything else.

I don't think that going to an Ivy gave me a significant leg up over DH. It's cool to think, "Oh! I went to school with so and so," but in most cases they were not really good friends. And my education was $$$$ while he was paid a stipend to go. I'm conflicted on which path I would advise my children to take, because I saw from DH that there is a real advantage in being a big fish in a small pond. [/quote]

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