

Does the reputation of your college matter in getting a job? - ISloop

I'm currently a community college student planning to transfer into a 4 year university as a Computer Science major. Although I'm applying next year, I need to start thinking about where exactly I want to go.<p>I live in CA, so my primary school selections are UC's or CSU's. The cheapest option for me would be to go to a local state school, since I could save a lot of money by staying at home and only having to pay for commute. Aside from it being cost-efficient, I absolutely love the city and culture that surrounds the school's location. Going there would definitely be an interesting experience. The school is ABET accredited but not well-known for it's CS program, which is a bit concerning.<p>I could also choose to attend a UC, which is obviously much more prestigious all around. However it would be quite costly for me to move out and attend one.<p>Financial issues brushed aside, how much does it really matter which school one attends in order to get a decent job after graduating? I did a bit of research and it seems that technical knowledge is more important than the school one attended, although people who go to better schools often have an easier time getting their foot in the door. I happen to know a few people who have attended very reputable schools but seem to be struggling in finding jobs, which leads me to believe that I should go to the very best school that I can get into, to improve my chances at being hired after graduation.<p>I know this is a question that has been discussed quite a lot. However, I know that HN hosts many knowledgeable people in the tech industry who would be able to provide valuable insight that I wouldn't find elsewhere. I appreciate any responses, thanks.
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arebop
Go to Berkeley.

For a "decent" job, it doesn't matter; for the best jobs (or cofounders!), it
will be helpful to start off at an elite institution.

The most important qualification for getting a job at a place where you can be
happy as a software engineer is the ability to quickly write short programs at
the whiteboard while your interviewer looks on and takes notes. You'll be
given a problem statement and expected to identify an efficient combination of
basic datastructures and algorithms to reach a solution on the way to writing
down the code and discussing its correctness and the merits and demerits of
the choices you made. You really don't want to work at a company that thinks a
formal credential is more important than actual ability.

The reputation of your school doesn't matter much outside of first-rate
software companies, where it will be helpful but not necessary to have a top-5
school on your resume.

Having said that, a major benefit at a strong school is that you'll be among
the people who wind up working at all the best companies. It's good to learn
and work with talented/motivated/smart people, and it will be easy to choose
good internships and good prospective employers because you'll know so many
people with first-hand knowledge of each place.

~~~
davidhansen
_for the best jobs (or cofounders!), it will be helpful to start off at an
elite institution._

FWIW, I not only attended a state university, but I also dropped out of it,
and still managed to co-found a few successful companies. I'm not sure what
the parenthetical "or cofounders" is supposed to mean, since customers of most
businesses don't typically ask for a CV.

~~~
ameen
Well, I can see where you come from. A lot of talent is outside these so-
called "brand" schools. But then again, I believe it would've been a little
harder for you to convince your VC's or even your co-founders to join you than
it would've been had you been to a brand school.

This is all IMHO, but I think those "brand" schools help you get your foot
into the door, after that its all your hardwork. Also, All the very best with
your business!

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hansy
As someone who kind of regrets going to a "brand" school, I think you are in
an industry where portfolio and internships matter more so than what school
you went to.

If money isn't an issue, then try and get into a "brand" school. If it is,
then no worries, go where you feel comfortable. Just remember, you absolutely
have to outshine everyone around you. You will be competing with candidates
from brand schools who are also outshining their peers.

So, get involved with as many clubs as you can that peek your interest. But
don't just passively participate in them; become a leader or an active member.
Start applying to as many internships as possible as early as possible. Don't
be scared if you think your skills aren't on par yet. Try, try, try, and try
some more. There are a million and one opportunities out there that are right
for your particular skill level.

Finally, don't invest yourself in just Computer Science. I'm sure you have
interests elsewhere, so go and explore those to your heart's content. Based on
my experience, employers love diversity in their candidates. Stand out, not
just in your technical abilities but also in your personality.

You only live once. Do anything and everything.

I struggled with this question myself, so if you want to talk about it, shoot
me an email.

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ameen
I second arebop, unfortunately I had skipped on joining one of these top
schools for my undergrad, as I was juvenile then (6 years back), and I only
started regretting it as I graduated from College.

A better College should be a default choice for any forward thinking CS-
interested individual, as its not just about the classes, but the fellow
students at such Colleges that bring about a world of difference.

Most of these colleges have freshmen who already have landed awesome
internships or have been part of past YC alum(or other incubator's). These
individuals can directly impact how your future is shaped, and mostly its for
the better. The intellectual quotient of these establishments is one of the
major reasons they pump out the most awesome programmers.

I'm trying to land an MS at some of these universities - UC's (and other top
schools). It isn't an easy journey, but it'll be damn well worth it. All the
best, and never think of financials when it comes to self-improvement. I used
to think these places were over-rated, and not a day has passed when I didn't
regret such an erroneous judgement.

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_delirium
Depends somewhat on where (geographically) you want to go, what kind of job
you want, and what other portfolio you think you might build up. More
prestigious schools do provide a bump, partly due to the actual name, and
partly just due to better networking opportunities with things like recruiters
showing up to their job/internship fairs. But if you get a good internship and
do well in it, that's often more important than where you got your degree.

As for geography, for California specifically, some of the CSUs are actually
better regarded than the UCs for some kinds of programming positions: Cal Poly
in particular has a reputation for graduating strong programmers familiar with
standard software engineering practices, which isn't usually the goal of more
academic-CS focused UC departments, and their grads are popular with some
employers (especially larger ones). Outside of California, the UC name
recognition is probably a bigger factor, though.

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thejteam
Depends on where (geographically) you want to work. If you are thinking of
moving across country, a UC school would look a lot better than the local
school. If you want to work locally, then the local school will be fine. It
may even be more helpful as there will be a larger local alumni network to tap
into. Using myself as an example, I went to a small liberal arts school
practically nobody outside the mid-atlanic has heard of. Not exactly know for
computer science either, in fact I think they only formed the major a about 2
or 3 years before I graduated(which was 2001!). On the other hand it is well
thought of locally and I had a job offer well before I graduated. My first
supervisor went this school. One of the owners of the company I currently work
for went there as well.

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impendia
I second the advice to go to Berkeley.

I am a university professor and so have hopped around from place to place
(undergrad, grad, postdoc, faculty) and have seen that different universities
are _very_ different from each other.

At some places you are held to high standards. At some places you are not.
Moreover, the most important thing you can do is to be around intelligent and
motivated people, and the best schools offer this.

My math students at Stanford got a much better education from me than my math
students where I am now. Consider what variable I have just controlled for...
and you will understand why I'm suggesting you go somewhere top-notch if you
can.

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c_t_montgomery
Going to a great school (like Berkeley) will immediately help, in terms of
connections and job offers. Depending on your attitude and mindset, that may
be it, or it may propel you to further things in life.

If you can afford Berkeley, I'd absolutely take advantage of it.

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pneill
Reputation doesn't matter. What matters is internships. Do those. Do those
now. An internship is what will get you your first job. After that, school
doesn't matter at all and everything will be about what you've shipped.

