Why the college you choose actually does matter
It’s fall, and while it’s a distant memory to many of us now, that means it’s college application time. The term CommonApp immediately brings back memories of stress and frustration and the anticipation we felt when a college emailed us about an update in regards to our application. It seemed that one click of a button would determine our entire future. Many of us look back on that feeling and think we were over dramatic and lacked perspective.
But what if we were onto something?
Before I continue, I would like to state a quick disclaimer that the college you get into does not mean that you absolutely will or won’t be successful and I am disregarding a lot of nuance surrounding this topic as it is irrelevant to the lens I am analyzing this topic through. Additionally, as Cornell University (Cornell) students it is important to acknowledge that we go to a school that hypothetically would make us more successful. While discussing these schools, a lot of nuance will once again be disregarded and I do acknowledge the privilege that I have to be able to attend a school like this.
Think back to when you were applying to colleges. Why did you pick the schools you did? Why did you pick this school? Chances are the reason was that it was a better school. But why was it a better school? The College of Engineering at Cornell is ranked 13 nationally while Texas A&M Engineering is ranked 10 nationally. Even though A&M is higher, a significant amount of people would still pick Cornell even though it’s technically worse. The reason for this is the network, as obvious as the name, the alumni connections and network is arguably the most important aspect a school can offer its students even after they graduate. When you pay for a top college, you pay for the name and the connections associated with that name.
In the example below, let’s say Node A and Node C both went to Cornell, so they have an edge connecting them. Additionally, let’s say that Node A and Node B were the same major at a different university, e.g. Computer Science, so they also have an edge connecting them. If Node C had to hire someone for a job, they would most likely pick A over B because they already have an edge connecting them.
Even if there was an edge between Node B and Node C, let’s say they’re from the same city, e.g. Boston,
It creates an unbalanced triangle according to the structural balance theory.
An argument you may have is why does it matter what school you go to as long as it’s the same school as your boss then, it could be Wakeforest or Ithaca College not necessarily Cornell. While this is absolutely correct, the biggest part is your likelihood of creating a connection like this. According to the College Consensus, these are the 50 schools with the best college alumni networks: College Consensus
While the list includes some schools that most people wouldn’t immediately think of such as smaller liberal arts colleges, every school that people would think of is on that list. Schools like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, etc. Ultimately, going to one school over another does not determine the success and trajectory of your life, but it does put you at a significant advantage to be given those pre-set connections.