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Does where you get your degree from really matter in the business field especially if you are trying to get a job in big firms?
I've recently gotten into an in my opinion ok business school but it's not like an Ivy league. I was just wondering since I'm an incoming freshman should I try to transfer to a better college? What matters more, the place you get a degree from or where you rank in your graduating class grade wise?
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mohamed’s Answer
Whether your business degree comes from a top-ranked school matters mainly if you’re aiming for elite fields like investment banking or top consulting firms, where recruiters target specific universities; otherwise, it’s not a major factor. For most business careers, what really matters is your experience, internships, skills, and network, these carry more weight than the school's name. GPA is important only to meet minimum requirements which is usually around 3.0–3.5, but beyond that, real-world experience and how you present yourself matter more. So, a strong GPA combined with solid internships from an average school is often better than a weak profile from a top school. You don’t need to rush into transferring, focus first on performing well, gaining experience, and building connections, then reassess later if your career goals require a more prestigious school.
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Katherine (Katy)’s Answer
Your success doesn't just depend on attending a "big firm" or a top school. While some prestigious companies have preferred schools, firms like Deloitte/the Big Four and other "big firms" focus less on where you studied.
It's important to keep your grades up and be smart about choosing internships. My career took off because of the internships I did in college, even though I was an average student. Every interview I had after graduation included discussions about my internship at Amazon, which was relevant because I work in supply chain.
Don't worry too much about transferring to another college just to get into a company that hires only from certain schools. You can have a fulfilling and successful career with many great companies, even if they aren't that crazy prestigious firm.
It's important to keep your grades up and be smart about choosing internships. My career took off because of the internships I did in college, even though I was an average student. Every interview I had after graduation included discussions about my internship at Amazon, which was relevant because I work in supply chain.
Don't worry too much about transferring to another college just to get into a company that hires only from certain schools. You can have a fulfilling and successful career with many great companies, even if they aren't that crazy prestigious firm.
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Eddy’s Answer
It’s great that you’re thinking about your career this early, because that mindset will matter a lot more than the specific school name in the long run. It is true that some companies, especially in fields like consulting and finance, have a list of “target schools” that they typically hire from, and they often focus their recruiting efforts on those schools because it’s efficient and gives them access to a large pool of candidates in one place. However, there are also a lot of companies that do not have a target school list, and even the ones that do still hire people from a wide range of universities based on skills, experience, and networking.
So the reality is that where you go to school can give you an advantage in terms of access and visibility, but it is not the only thing that determines your outcome. Your grades, internships, leadership experience, and ability to network often matter just as much, if not more, especially once you get past your first job. If you have a few companies that you’re really interested in, it’s a smart move to research whether they rely heavily on target schools and how they recruit.
Rather than immediately trying to transfer, a more practical approach is to focus on doing very well where you are, building strong experience, and being proactive about networking, because those are the things that can close the gap regardless of the school you attend.
So the reality is that where you go to school can give you an advantage in terms of access and visibility, but it is not the only thing that determines your outcome. Your grades, internships, leadership experience, and ability to network often matter just as much, if not more, especially once you get past your first job. If you have a few companies that you’re really interested in, it’s a smart move to research whether they rely heavily on target schools and how they recruit.
Rather than immediately trying to transfer, a more practical approach is to focus on doing very well where you are, building strong experience, and being proactive about networking, because those are the things that can close the gap regardless of the school you attend.