Posts Tagged ‘college reputation’

 Surprising link between college reputation and undergraduate majors. The reputation of one’s university matters more to those who graduate with degrees in engineering, accounting and economics than those who majored in communications, psychology and history.  A survey by WSJ/PayScale.com interviewed over 10,000 recent graduates (see chart below).  I would never have guessed that math-oriented types would believe in the almighty importance of reputation but recruiters probably set up interviews at certain schools based on exactly that, their reputation. Additionally, majors in the “softer” areas of concentration are probably open to various types of jobs and the entire recruiting process is fairly random because you can try so many things.  If you are an engineering graduate, you are probably pretty dead set on that as a career. Let’s face it, graduating with a major in history does not necessarily lead you into a company focused on historical producs and services!  

Glad to see that these engineering majors are so with it.

Terribly interesting article today in The Wall Street Journal about college rejection letters. They name the colleges with the best and worst rejection letters.  The list is below according to how the WSJ judged them. Many of the letters are posted on CollegeConfidential where students go to complain and commend these eagerly awaited letters.  Most important, these letters help define college reputations. In tough economic times, colleges should think twice about how they are communicating to families and young souls.  These first brushes with big rejections are not forgotten and with the Internet today, college reputations are hyper-vulnerable to these critiques. College admission directors should take note and perhaps test and refine their rejection (and acceptance) notes before they go out.  In fact, how about asking freshman for honest appraisal. They are right nearby.

Toughest: Bates College

Kindest: Harvard

Most Confusing: University of California, San Diego; Penn State

Most Discouraging: Boston University

Biggest Spin: UC Davis

Best Coaching: Mount Allison University

This article reminded me of my son’s search for an internship this summer and the many responses and non-responses he received. I was fascinated by how most companies went very much out of their way to put their best foot forward. They communicated personally on the phone and always met their deadlines about telling him when he would hear about an opportunity. He had one interview at a financial services company that was astonishingly bizarre and I guess I will never forget it. Their reputation sank in my mind and I always repeat it when talking to friends and family. So does he. The HR person asked very inappropriate questions including who his parents voted for. When she heard that President Obama was the candidate of choice, she told him that she was surprised his parents could be so clueless despite their graduate educations. Just a reminder about how important reputations can be damaged by one single employee and the importance of making sure that all employees understand their role in creating good names.  In addition, as more people look for jobs in this tough economic climate, HR departments and people who receive letters with attached resumes should think about their role in creating their company’s reputation. Time for a refresher.