

Ask HN: Is a CS degree worth it if it comes from a state school? - _student_

This excerpt from an article[1] criticizing Jason Fried's Inc. Magazine piece caught my attention:<p>"Does this sound even remotely plausible? Ignore resumes, really? Let’s say two candidates came in:<p>Candidate 1<p>Stanford, MS CS, top marks<p>Facebook (aka hot startup)<p>Candidate 2<p>State school<p>Doing Java at HP<p>You’d ignore this information, and go straight to the cover letter?"<p>The implication seems to be that the second candidate is lackluster, in part for having attended a "state school," an unnamed member of an amorphous blob of mediocre institutions that churn out equally mediocre graduates. This is not the first time I have seen this sentiment expressed, and I have often wondered about the value employers place on degrees. Sometimes it seems as though their preference is almost binary: either they, like Google, recruit exclusively from top, generally private schools like MIT, CMU and Stanford, or they take all comers, even those who lack a degree.<p>I have no doubt that a degree from MIT, Stanford, CMU, and even from some spectacular public schools like Berkeley can open up doors for those who hold them. But I wonder whether the same is true for degrees from less-than-stellar state schools. An undergraduate degree from a four-year college, even one with cheaper in-state tuition, is still a substantial investment: four years of your life and thousands of dollars. Over the past few months I have been considering going back to school to get a degree, but it looks as though the only institutions I can afford and get accepted into are those rueful state schools. For someone in my position, I would really like to know (after hopefully not offending anyone who has such a degree), do you think it's still worth it, or would my time and money be better spent elsewhere?<p>[1]http://blog.scottolsen.net/?p=144
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mindcrime
If you just want the knowledge, then quit worrying about this. It doesn't
matter if you go to Miskatonic University or Stanford.

If you're worried about getting a job... I say quit worrying about it anyway.
Yeah, sure, there are _some_ managers out there who have the mindset "I won't
talk to you unless you went to Stanford or CMU or MIT." Most normal people, on
the other hand, realize that the name of the university you attended is a
pretty weak indicator, if it's an indicator of anything at all. If you're
legitimately good at what you do, it'll show. And it won't matter one bit
where you went to school, for 99% of employers. (disclaimer: 73.2% of all
statistics are made up on the spot. The point still stands though, IMO.)

Also, ask yourself if you _want_ to work with the kind of pretentious snobs
who spend their time worrying about shallow symbols of status as opposed to
worrying about things that really matter.

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hga
What's your objective in getting a degree? I.e. where are you now and how do
you expect or at least hope a CS degree will change that?

~~~
_student_
To improve my employability (get better job opportunities), to enrich my mind,
and also to make connections. I have also toyed with the idea of going the
startup route, either instead of college or sometime shortly after.

~~~
hga
OK ... but it's still very hard to give you advice without knowing where you
are today. I.e. what is your skill set and experience level(s), what sort of
jobs have you been getting, etc.

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spitfire
Do you wear a jacket to keep you warm or because it says Prada on it?

Did you go to school to get a piece of paper, or to learn something?

NB: I interview the state grad. Stanford is a plus, but hot-startup is a huge
maturity flag for me. Also, if i'm hiring I will go look at the courses at
that uni. Assuming you're < 25.

~~~
jgg
_Do you wear a jacket to keep you warm or because it says Prada on it?

Did you go to school to get a piece of paper, or to learn something?_

The analogy doesn't quite hold. You make it sound as if all educational
quality is the same, and you're only paying for the name. That's just not
true.

