Yeah - that sounds nice - but that’s not the real world. Cornell, until recently, posted the how students get jobs on their job board. By far and away, it’s social boards (presumably linkedin and indeed, handshake) and company boards. Yes, all schools place at job fairs or on campus interviewing - including every school mentioned, and alums - but as the Cornell data showed, that’s few vs. the relative overall. interesting several parents were just discussing handshake on another thread and I noted my kid found listings there days after indeed - and another said, my kid has the exact same on handshake as their friends at Michigan. With zoom, etc. it’s easy today for companies to spread their tentacles vs. targeting on visits.
It’s a different world and Covid sped up the adaption.
How else would a kid, as talented as he is, have 19 interviews and 5 offers by xmas.
Different field but my daughter chose a regional public over highly ranked schools - and everyone says DC is so tough and you can’t get internships if you’re not at a prestigious school - and she had 7 offers, 5 paid - and worked for arguably the top think tank.
So I think the world has changed…..and research can be had anywhere - profs and departments at both my kids schools - sent out emails regularly offering. It may be more competitive at the more academic schools - and in the case of engineering, these schools all have design projects integrated with volunteer companies.
Top rated schools won’t tell you this because - that’s part of their allure and they continue to get the best and brightest. That’s why Alabama buys them - that’s the only way to get them I’m assuming.
I myself am in Automotive (not engineering) - and i’ll tell you the engineers are from all over - whether it’s Tennessee Tech, CU Boulder, Kettering, UMASS, USC or you name it.
Everyone is entitled to believe what they want and I have no doubt a Stanford or MIT do open doors - but I think the narrative you’re laying out - is 10 or 20 years past…I think before covid although covid and zoom sped the adoption to where we are today.
I’ll also tell you most engineering majors don’t work in engineering jobs - the Wash Post says up to 75%. I know my son’s second internship wasn’t…and I asked him, why they want an engineer then. He said - because they like how they think.
Kids today find jobs….moreso than the schools although the schools can help facilitate via career fairs, workshops, etc.
Good luck