Are you screwed if you don't go to an elite university?

Question

I graduated with a BA in history near the top of my class. But some people have told me it doesn't matter how well I did, becuase I didn't go to an elite college. I'll have trouble getting a job. I went to Texas State University, which probably ranks 5th when compared to the other public universities in Texas. Certainly better than many other colleges in the state.

I think I'm more qualified than a C student at a "better" school. If I'd have worked as hard in high school as I did in college, I could've gone to an ivy. I changed my ways my freshman year of college, and worked as hard as I possibly could at it. So just because I was a slacker as a teenager, does that mean I don't have a bright future?

Answer 1

You don't worry about having to go an elite university in order to make an impact in life. Only 10% of CEO's from the Fortune 500 came from Ivy League Schools, so it goes to show you about the myth these schools generate about their importance.

All it truly takes is you to excel your own career, not some piece of paper. Granted there might be some patronage with some employers, alumni hiring students who went to their school and so on, but it's not a broad fact of life. In fact some of the most recently powerful men in business went to "regular" universities.

Chuck Prince (CEO of Citigroup) - Georgetown University
Warren Buffett - University of Nebraska
Alan Greenspan - NYU
Gary Kelley (CEO of Southwest Airlines) - UT

During an interview to a prospective employer what's on paper on your resume probably takes up about 50% of importance (mainly to "punch the ticket" on certain aspects). The rest is you and how you display your passion in your career to the hiring representative. You could be a graduate of Harvard in journalism trying to get a job at USA today as a front page reporter, but if the hiring representative just doesn't see the passion and instead instantly sees it from another potential employee who graduated from TxState, believe me they'll hire the more passionate one. Business is business, and all that matters to most businesses (at least the reasonable ones) is how much value you can bring to their company.

I'll give you a student I knew as an example. He's a graduate of UT with a bachelors in Government (honors), a graduate of UTSA with a Master's in Management (honors), but the guy has no clue as to how to implement himself out there in the real world and to date has yet to establish himself in any career. Come to think it he isn't even working yet, even after almost a year of graduating. Me on the hand, I am just a simple double major graduate from Texas State (represent) and even before graduating I started my career in banking and have been solidly building it for two years now. UT is considered more prestigous than TxState, but as the above example illustrates that doesn't prove anything.

So please don't listen to those people that mention anything about the elite colleges. It's all inside that matters. I hope this helps.

Answer 2

To be honest it really depends on the company and the type of job you are looking at. If you are looking for jobs within Texas, you probably have a better shot than if you are looking in New York. You will without question get a job, but you will have to play to your strengths and be realistic. For instance, Wall St. firms are going to be quite heavily leaning towards Ivy League graduates, so that might not be the place for you. Clearly, the Ivy League colleges are desired because they do give that extra cachet - a C student from Harvard has a better shot than an A student from Cal State Longbeach. But that said, if you did well in college, any college, are smart and hard-working, and learn to present yourself well in interviews and business environments, you should be fine.

Answer 3

Going to an elite university helps.

And no, good grades at a lower tier university don't help you as much because you have little competition at your school.

I went to Rice for undergrad, and I had plenty of competition in every class. I had to work hard just to get B's.
However, I took a few courses from lower tier universities (mostly while I was in high school). In those courses, I needed very little effort to get A's. They were like high school.


Those at more competitive schools will be looked on more favorably because they are competing against stronger students for their grades, and they also have better track records.


You can still be successful, but it's not right to have sour grapes over the fact that other people worked harder in high school (and are working at least as hard as you are in university). Getting a C at a tough school is at least as hard as getting an A at Texas State.

Answer 4

Absolutely not screwed. What is really important is if you did an intership during undergrad, and what kinds of work experience you have. Also, did you minor in anything? Do you have any additional skills (language, computer, etc.)? BAs are a dime a dozen; now it's about showing how you're better than the next person and what little other things you can bring to the table.

The one thing you have to take into consideration, though, is what jobs a BA in history can get you. Consider grad school; a masters is a HUGE plus in getting a job.

Answer 5

You have to win over companies. Usually colleges don't matter, it's all connections and impressions. If you just graduated, I wouldn't worry too much that you don't have a job yet. Many college graduates, even from prestigious schools(I have a soon to be in-law who's an unemployed physicist), take 6 months to a year to find a decent job. Keep looking. Send out as many resumes as possible and don't give up! Something good will come along.

Answer 6

Not at all. You have a degree from a good school, and that's a start. A lot depends on what kind of work you want to do. The schools desperately need history teachers, but you'll need to get a teaching credential if you want to do that. If you want to pursue history as a career, you'll need a good graduate school and to hang in there until you get a PhD. If what you want is just one of the many jobs where you just have to have some kind of degree, such as an entry-level job in government work, you should have no problem.

Good luck to you.

Answer 7

What people are telling you is nonsense. There are a few companies, such as elite consulting firms, who won't hire anyone but Ivy graduates, but most graduates at most universities find jobs, and if you prove yourself to be a good employee, you will have a successful future. Yes, having a degree from an elite university opens doors and gives you an advantage, but rest assured that you can do quite well in life without one.

Answer 8

It's hard to guage grades at lower tiered universities. I went to U of M and my friend transferred from a community college. At community college he had a 4.0 and at U of M he was in the 2.somethings I believe.
You can still get jobs from other universities although it can be more difficult. But sometimes you get lucky, I remember someone telling me they wouldn't have hired me because i had a C in one of my chemistry classes, which if I had gone to a lower level college I wouldn't have had.
I think the bigger problem will be that you majored in history which doesn't fit a particular job very well that I know of.

Answer 9

College is only important for getting your first job or two. After that, no one cares unless they went there too. Upon graduation you'll be just as eligible for entry level jobs as most other people. Also, no offense, I really love the subject too, but history is up there with philosophy and film in terms of impractical majors.

Answer 10

No offense (really) but you're not having a hard time because you didn't go to an elite university, you're having a hard time because you're a history major. The only thing you can really do is teach history, and to do that, most schools require a master's.