UW schools

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by r_shackleford

Of course Eau Claire's a cow town. Then again, New Yorkers would say the same of Chicago. Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes for a second. He sees the resume of an applicant who has spent the four years since college working in restaurants and car dealerships. At best, the manager will assume the applicant is not seriously interested in a career in that particular field. If the applicant were serious, he'd have found a job in his field- even if that meant working in a cow town. In the real world- of which you profess to be an expert- looking down on rural hicks does not qualify you for that big city job you covet.

I find it hard to believe he couldn't get temp contracts in four years. Something is wrong there.

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by r_shackleford

The three-plus years of experience and accomplishments working there landed me a job with the dream employer that I could not crack straight out of school. That's how the real real world works.

Quality does vary from college to college, but it's not the final word on what jobs you can or can't get.

Absolutely

After my first job, not a single employer gave 2 craps about where I went to college. Once I began hiring people myself, I felt the same way. I was looking for a degree as a basal unit. Didn't matter the university or even the area of study. You may not get an entry job with a prestigious company right off the bat with a degree from Whitewater, but it makes less-and-less difference once work history starts piling up. This is fairly common knowledge to anyone in the business world, which makes me wonder if this "Gent" is simply making everything up as he goes along.

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by Girbaud King

Menards, Menards, Menards.

[Midwest Gent]

See, I generally think of cow towns as being anywhere with less than 10,000 residents. MY hometown was 25,000 and I considered that on the larger side. It's all relative, but I certainly don't consider Eau Claire a small town...at all.

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by Midwest Gent

See, I generally think of cow towns as being anywhere with less than 10,000 residents. MY hometown was 25,000 and I considered that on the larger side. It's all relative, but I certainly don't consider Eau Claire a small town...at all.

I grew up in a town of 9,000, and moved during high school in between 2 unincorporated villages. In the time since, I've travelled the world and I do in fact consider Eau Claire a small town.

[NowInWI]

Originally Posted by Midwest Gent

Bottom line; stay in Eau Claire or Wisconsin, a degree from Eau Claire is fine. But it probably won't serve you well if you want to move far away. I retract my statement. Each UW school has value, but the value is regionally limited in most cases.

I have two sisters that graduated from Eau Claire and one from Clemson. The two from Eau Claire are in their late 20's and still living in Eau Claire and doing very well. The one that went to Clemson (ranked as one of the Top 25 public schools in the US), is living in Texas and making six figures. They are all equally successful and very valued in their communities. That's great, that's where they want to be.

All I'm saying is that when you pick a college, know that regional schools don't give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to where you want to live.

Midwest Gent, I have to disagree with you on so many levels. I know a graduate from Oshkosh, who lives in a multi-million dollar home in Houston, and is an upper-level executive with a nationwide commercial real estate company. He and his family will be transferring to Orange County, soon.

As far as it being easy to get into UWMilwaukee...that's true. It's not easy, however, to stay there. My daughter graduated with a degree from UWMilwaukee, and beat out a candidate from UWMadison, and one from Marquette when she was hired for her first job. With every example you give, I can counter you.

[Empidonax]

Here is an interesting essay that, among other things, questions the nature and purpose of elite, private universities; pokes at the foundation of the US News rankings; and advocates for less prestigious public and private colleges:

Ivy League Schools Are Overrated. Send Your Kids Elsewhere. | New Republic

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by NowInWI

Midwest Gent, I have to disagree with you on so many levels. I know a graduate from Oshkosh, who lives in a multi-million dollar home in Houston, and is an upper-level executive with a nationwide commercial real estate company. He and his family will be transferring to Orange County, soon.

As far as it being easy to get into UWMilwaukee...that's true. It's not easy, however, to stay there. My daughter graduated with a degree from UWMilwaukee, and beat out a candidate from UWMadison, and one from Marquette when she was hired for her first job. With every example you give, I can counter you.

Anecdotal examples aren't really helpful. There are incredible success stories by people that never graduated at all. They really tell you very very little.

[NowInWI]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Anecdotal examples aren't really helpful. There are incredible success stories by people that never graduated at all. They really tell you very very little.

They tell you more than the broad generalizations are telling you...broad generalizations based on bias, I might add.