Does a better school mean a better job?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether attending a higher-ranked university leads to better job opportunities, particularly in the context of mechanical engineering. Participants explore various factors that may influence employment prospects, including university connections, industry recruitment patterns, and personal interests in specific fields.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if a degree from a higher-ranked school provides better job opportunities and whether employers prefer candidates from such institutions.
  • Another participant suggests that the connections made at a university, including relationships with professors and industry alumni, may be a significant factor in job prospects.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes the importance of researching specific fields of mechanical engineering and identifying which companies recruit at the participant's current school versus a potential transfer school.
  • A participant references an article discussing the advantages of attending name-brand universities, implying that such benefits may apply to UIUC.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the importance of university ranking versus connections and recruitment patterns, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of the issue, including the need for personal research into specific fields and companies, as well as the potential variability in recruitment practices across different industries.

nicolasg
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My question is does a degree from a higher ranked school give better job opportunities? Are employers more likely to higher people with a degree from a higher ranked school?

So far I have completed one semester of college at SIUC. I am a mechanical engineer major. I like SIUC and have made many friends and done well in classes but I have considered transferring to U of I (Urbana-Champaign) since it is ranked one of the best engineering schools in the US.
 
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Hey nicolasg and welcome to the forums.

If there was a differentiated factor it would be with the connections you get from one school in comparison to another.

This can range from the actual professors and teaching staff (both research and otherwise) to the industry and alumni connections one has an advantage with respect to the other.

It's hard to say what advantages would be in the transferred uni but that is basically the advantage of going to one school over another in a lot of cases.

But this is a common human issue since it relates to the component of human trust and depending on the situation and attributes highlighted above, the trust component can work in your favor or against it depending on your circumstances.
 
I'd suggest trying to determine which fields of ME interest you the most, and then research the companies that are leaders in those fields. After that, check if those companies recruit at your school. You may have to go to your school's career services center for more information. I would also contact the career center at UIUC to see if those companies recruit there.

If the companies that you're interested in working for don't recruit at your school, but do recruit at UIUC, then a transfer may help your chances of gaining employment at those companies.
 

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