Ivy League universities do not just provide students with an extensive alumni network or countless job opportunities from employers
FOR many international students, being accepted into a university in the United States is always a great pride. This pride is even more meaningful when, after a rigorous admission process, they have conquered the “peaks” like Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, or Princeton.
However, a degree from Ivy League schools does not guarantee a dream life after graduation with a big office in New York. The reality is far different, and you need much more than a prestigious Ivy League degree to secure a dream job.
So, what can you do to gain an early advantage and prepare for your future career? Here are four factors you might want to consider:
1. The field you will enter: Do you imagine yourself joining Wall Street or starting a business? Perhaps you dream of becoming a technologist or an astronaut in the future.
Defining your dream helps you pinpoint exactly where you need to go. For example, you might want to study at NYU’s Stern School of Business rather than majoring in general Economics at an Ivy League school. Similarly, studying Aerospace Engineering at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University will give you more frequent opportunities to interact with NASA than simply studying engineering at Ivy League schools. Remember, employers hire you not just for your degree but for what you can actually do.
2. “Location and Speed Matter”: Think about the location where you will study. Statistics show that employers tend to hire students directly from the city where their company is located (Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle hires employees from the University of Washington, Washington State University, and Western Washington University, according to Wired).
When you decide to apply to a university, look up where the headquarters of the companies are located. For example, if you want to get into manufacturing, Texas or Michigan might be the destinations you want to choose. Or if you want to get into politics, Washington D.C. is an inevitable choice.
3. Alumni Network: While Ivy League schools have an extensive alumni network, large schools like Penn State are also not far behind in connecting students. For many Vietnamese students, the concept of an alumni network may seem “boring,” but in the U.S., 80% of job positions are not advertised. This means that the ability to leverage relationships is the key if you’re planning to find a job. You’ll be surprised by what the power of a good alumni network can do for you.
If you prefer small classes and easy discussions with your peers, a liberal arts college is where you belong. Otherwise, other types of universities might suit you better. This advice is most useful when you have a clear idea of what you want after college. Although this question is often asked, in reality, there are always rewards for those who know what they want after graduation and start early.
At this very moment, you may not be able to stop imagining the possibility of becoming a student at Brown, Columbia, or Dartmouth. But after four years at university and many years thereafter, you will find that the reputation of the university is among the few things you care about.
