Career value of a prestige LAC?

[cbreeze]

I would like to dispel the notion that Pomona's career placement center is weak. Many companies recruit at Pomona and all Pomona students are able to utilize the career centers of any of the Claremont Colleges, thus one has 5X more opportunities. I know many who received great offers from Pomona's career center and I know many who moved across the country upon graduation and found great jobs within a few months. Pomona's name recognition is very national.

MOWC's son and mine graduated from the same university at different times. Mine found employment through the career center and hers did not. But both of them have great jobs.

Finding a job upon graduation is dependent on luck, field of study and fortitude of the students involved. I do agree that having a diploma from a well-known respected college helps.

Bill Keller, the executive editor of the NYT is a Pomona grad who has gone back to Pomona several times to assist students interested in journalism.

[blossom]

I would add to Cbreeze's excellent post- finding a job is also dependent on significant flexibility. The recent grads I know who are in career track type positions all took the attitude that "my job comes first" when they were looking for a job.

The job you want in the field you want may not turn up in your backyard. You may need to launch your career in TV production in Minneapolis, not NY or LA. You may need to move to Dayton Ohio. You may be working for the world's greatest company but the world's meanest boss- or the world's greatest boss but have an hour long commute on the subway.

Etc.

OP- I don't think either of these options are make or break for any kind of career. You know your D-getting a job in publishing will depend on her ability to leverage her smarts, stay flexible, work hard, etc regardless of where she goes.

And what happens if/when she changes her career interest, as the overwhelming majority of 18 year olds end up doing?

[UAlbanyProf]

Thanks to everyone who has made comments on this thread. Very helpful. We're in a very similar situation to VOT123's. D got in a few places and was rejected by a few places, but the decision has come down to a state school (Purchase College) and a LAC (Hamilton). Purchase has a very selective, high quality BFA program (studio art), while LAC has, well, the advantages that LACs have. And like VOT123, we're facing a BIG differential in the tuition. Also like VOT123, we're willing to sacrifice if we're convinced the LAC really is a better fit. (Hoping that the Open Houses will illuminate the decision.) This thread has helped us understand a bit better the (possible?) LAC prestige factor a bit more. Thanks.

[sevmom]

OP,I think you have put yourself in a tough position. You allowed your daughter to apply to an expensive private at which you are essentially full pay, that you now say would be painful to afford. I am in Virginia and have a UVa grad son. As you must know, UVa is very well regarded and has a large and loyal alumni network. It is not for everyone however.Instate schools like William and Mary or Mary Washington may have been options for your daughter if she wanted a smaller school and you needed to stay within a certain budget. Smaller private schools that may have had merit aid options for her may have worked out better than UVa as well. Only you can decide if the increased cost of the private school she is most interested in would be worth it to your family to allow your daughter to attend the school of her choice.Good luck!

[oldfort]

My disclaimer on Pomona - someone posted on CC last year, I do not have any data or first hand experience. My point is it is important to do some due diligence. Just because a school has a strong career placement center, it doesn't mean it could place 100% of its students.

Do you consider job placement when you are looking at a college?

[aj725]

If finances are an issue, it isn't worth going to an LAC for prestige/network in a particularly low paying industry when there is a really highly ranked in-state option. I wouldn't go to a particular school due to the strength of its alumni network; while alumni networking allows you to pick up the phone and call others to ask your questions/gather info, what most students don't realize is that it rarely gets you the job, esp. at the entry levels. As your career develops, your true network ends up being those who know your work product because they can vouch for your ability to handle a particular job, not those who just went to the same school as you. If networking is that important, UVa has a huge alumni network, which seems quite involved and loyal, so it's not that she'll be missing out.

How is she certain that she wants to go into publishing? Even if she enjoys writing, there is a chance that she'll get to college and discover something else that will interest her even more -- I would think twice about making a huge financial sacrifice just based on the fact that she thinks she needs an alumni network in a particular industry.

[oldfort]

I would go for UVa - cost, quality of education, network, and it is very well regarded.

[Modadunn]

UVA - no brainer. Fabulous State Flagship and just as committed alumni network.

I think it really makes a difference what the other options are. As someone said earlier.. there is a big difference between state flagships, but UVA? yep, no brainer.

[ellemenope]

If finances are an issue, it isn't worth going to an LAC for prestige/network in a particularly low paying industry when there is a really highly ranked in-state option.

This from aj725 sets the problem up very succinctly, I think. The only question the OP and her family need to get on the same page on is whether "finances are an issue."

[cobrat]

Regarding Oberlin's career services, I've heard from more recent alums that they've increased the numbers of companies recruiting on campus and internship opportunities.

Main issue, however, is the fact most Obies IME tend to self-select themselves out of more mainstream career paths in favor of public service, creative arts, academia, teaching K-12, and/or politically progressive activism.

In any event, I'm wondering why Pomona and Oberlin were brought up as neither college is a member of the Seven-Sisters which was what the OP was asking about. More importantly, Seven-Sister LACs have a whole separate set of differences than their co-ed counterparts.

[LindaCarmichael]

What is the difference between four yrs of UVA and four years of 7 sister school? About 120K? 30K more a year?

Can your husband take a second job to defray the 30K? And D can get a part time job during the school year? Can you sell jewelry at those home parties? I am sure that the three of you can make some extra money so the LAC will be less painful financially. Downsize home? You may not need as large a home if your child is at college. The equity might make a dent in the extra tuition money.

Large preppie party schools are not for everyone.

[monydad]

"Regarding Oberlin's career services, I've heard from more recent alums that they've increased the numbers of companies recruiting on campus and internship opportunities. "

Internship opportunities, perhaps. They had a good program to help selected students try to find internships and jobs in finance, for example. On campus recruiting, on the other hand.. Let's just say none that helped D1 any. Seemed like Peace Corps et all did the healthiest business there. I recall that when I looked at the list of who came there on campus to recruit, before she matriculated, it was not impressive. There actually seemed to be a large variation among LACs with similar academic profiles in this regard, pretty much as oldfort indicated previously. Some attracted a very decent amount of on campus recruiters, particularly given their relatively small pool of potential job candidates, and for some others it was terrible.

[oldfort]

cobrat - my post wasn't about choosing 7 sisters vs UVA, it was more about in general term about college after life. Pomona and Oberlin were brought up by me as possible examples of schools which may not as focused on career placement, and if that's what an applicant is looking for, then maybe they wouldn't be such good choices. What I know about Pomona are just few posts here from last year, but cbreeze seem to know more about the school. I aslo mentioned grad schools in my post. It appears more Oberlin students go on to graduate schools, therefore it is not as pre-professional. Again, each school has its strength, and it really depends on what you want from your college.

If finance is a big concern, then 100+k difference in price is a very big spread, especially when UVa is such a top notch school (probably better than most privates).

[monydad]

Even in most of the schools where a higher % winds up going to grad schools immediately, for the most part the differences in the %s between the colleges with similar student bodies are not that huge in the big picture of things. The vast majority of students from the somewhat higher % schools do not go to grad schools immediately either, and most of those people will benefit from having jobs right after college, if they can get them. So it would be nice if they have a strong option to be able to get them, if they want them. Some people are probably essentially forced into going to grad schools simply because they can't get good jobs.

When you are selecting colleges you do not know for sure what you will wind up being, wanting, or being capable of getting when you get out four years later. You may come in thinking that you will want to get a Phd down the road, or go to med school, or law school,or whatever. But along the way you could get some internship, or take some course, that turns your interests in a completely different direction; maybe one you'd never even thought about before you matricuated. Or you could wind up not achieving the high grades needed to get into a top program, with funding, and the prospects from a weaker program in this economy are not good. Whatever. A lot can happen, your interests and prospects may change, and the fact is most graduates need jobs. Even at most of these schools with relatively high grad school rates that is the case.

Given all these uncertainties at time of entry, IMO there is significant value to a school that seems able to expedite a variety of future paths, not just a few.

However, there are differences in the prevailing campus cultures that can materially impact the nature of the social situation at these small schools, and in some cases this can be an overriding consideration IMO. If you are likely to be miserable someplace for four years, that will affect your life, and possibly your performance there, which may dampen your ability to access the most appealing destinations after graduation.

[poetgrl]

I'm a big fan of UVA. It is one of the few big state schools in which I believe even the most introverted of students will be able to find their way and have a great educational experience.

That said, UVA aside, I do agree with Oldfort that a college's ability to assist in the career placement arena is important. In fact, one of the reasons my D chose her safety school had a lot to do with the fact that in the area where she plans to live when she graduates, they are THE go to college for local research labs and businesses. She unambivalently wanted to settle in this area since a small girl.

Either way, though, the OP's daughter will get a terrific education. I just can't imagine how it will serve her future desire to go into the field of publishing with significant debt, when she can go to one of the most well-respected public universities in the country, and leave with none. YMMV