Does the college you go to REALLY matter?

[BigServer1]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

All true, but I did say "all else being equal", meaning that both candidates interview equally well, are both personable, and both fit in equally well with the company, so the ONLY difference in the two candidates is the school that they graduated from. Which one is more likely to get the job? The Harvard MBA or the Univ. South Carolina MBA? And again, I was talking about jobs that have the highest starting salaries, such as in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, etc.

I guess if the only thing that separated two candidates was their MBA program, it might make the difference (unless the interviewer was a S. Carolina grad ). I also think that there are times when the Ivy League degree doesn't matter, like if you're interviewing for a Marketing job with the NFL, a Sports Marketing MBA from Oregon goes a lot farther than an Ivy League MBA in the same subject.

I do think it's largely situational, but in your above scenario, the Ivy league degree would probably be the deal breaker.

[Kevin T]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

You really believe that?

Anyway, how many entry-level jobs in Charleston have starting salaries of over $200,000? And what if the job candidate is from Charleston but went to Harvard for his MBA?

I think the bottom line is if you want a high paying job, you're more likely to get one if you went to Harvard than if you went to Univ. of South Carolina.

I absolutely believe that and know it from experience. And the 200k starting salary is relative. 120k is equivalent in many cities. Managers/leaders like to be around people they are familiar and comfortable with. I"m not arguing the merits of an Ivy education, that goes without saying and it WILL open a lot of doors for you that other degress might not. But hiring managers aren't saying "Look here guys, this dude went to Harvard. Call off the interview process. We have our guy". Just like all politics is local, a lot of hiring is local (and situational, as BigServe mentioned above). I deal with this looking at prospective grad student applicants. The students from top schools impress me on paper but the letters of rec, interview and personal experience count most to me and IMHO, are the greatest gauge for future success (vs. test scores, 4.0 GPA vs. 3.4 GPA). If the OP wants to go into investment banking, maybe he would be better served with a name school. If he's in a specialized science field, others in the field know the good schools and the program will matter more than the school.

[sureshs]

If you can afford it, and are sure you can endure the academics, go to a top school. The way it works is that top companies recruit from such campuses as their first choice, and offer them the interesting jobs. There will always be the exceptional CEO with a University of Phoenix degree, just like there will be a tennis pro who never had a coach. Once inside, graduates from top schools form a clique and recruit more from their schools, and get each other promoted. It is no secret. That is how the world works.

[Kevin T]

Originally Posted by sureshs

If you can afford it, and are sure you can endure the academics, go to a top school. The way it works is that top companies recruit from such campuses as their first choice, and offer them the interesting jobs. There will always be the exceptional CEO with a University of Phoenix degree, just like there will be a tennis pro who never had a coach. Once inside, graduates from top schools form a clique and recruit more from their schools, and get each other promoted. It is no secret. That is how the world works.

True but so do frat brothers, etc.