|
|
 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
  
Location: Texas | I have my heart set on SMU... I know it is a good college but if I can get in chances are I can get into UT which is one of the top schools for my major(Geology). I have toured alot of nice schools even some ivy leagues and still nothing gives me the feeling I get walking around the SMU campus. Does the difference between going to a good school and great school make a huge impact on finding jobs? Also if anyone on here has a geology degree and could pm I would love to get a few other questions answered! |
|
| |
|
 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I think it depends on what you are studying. I did an A.S in paralegal and some schools are bar certified where others arent. So that makes a difference. When I asked attorneys all they said was bar certified school but other than that it doesnt make a difference. |
|
| |
|
Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
 
| My degree - journalism has nothing to do with my 30-yr career as an industrial engineer in aircraft (other than hopefully I can write an email and not look uneducated)!  |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | SMU is a great school. So is UT. You won't go wrong with either. Something to keep in mind is alumni networks. Sometimes you have a little better chance of getting hired if the person you will be working with went to your school. Big name schools do help some, but if somebody went to a no name school and had a better GPA and more experience they are still more likely to get the job. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| My husband has a geology and land degree from Texas Tech. We both work in the oil business in Midland, he is a geologist and I am a geo tech. Message me if you have any questions. Right now, for geologists and geo techs (even more for techs actually) it doesnt matter where you have gone to school as long you have that degree, you are landing a GOOD job! |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 40
| Possibly one of the biggest factors to look into in this equation is the expense of each school. SMU, being a private school, will be exponentially more expensive over a state school - such as Texas.
Not sure if this is a factor for you or not...but it may be something to take into consideration. SMU could possibly run you around 40k a year for tuition alone.
That being said, it is a wonderful school, as is Texas (I attended there, before transferring to A&M .... horses being among one of the factors in the move, among others.) And Texas has one of the top programs in the nation....
Alumni networking will factor into the equation...
But withholding all other factors, a better program will win out in the job field...
Personal happiness is a major element in a sucessfull college career as well :)
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 729
Location: south central usa | oija - 2014-07-30 7:43 AM
SMU is a great school. So is UT. You won't go wrong with either. Something to keep in mind is alumni networks. Sometimes you have a little better chance of getting hired if the person you will be working with went to your school. Big name schools do help some, but if somebody went to a no name school and had a better GPA and more experience they are still more likely to get the job.
agree with the last statement. personally have seen the higher GPAs from a smaller school be selected - as in a 4.0 (not the only reason for being hired) over people with a lower GPA from a larger school. excellence is excellence no matter where it is demonstrated. the difference would be if a 3.0-3.5 is probably more likely, it may help to be from a larger school - although SMU is not what I would consider a lower tiered school.
good luck |
|
| |
|
Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | Yes we have factored in price.. I would be transfering after 2 years at a junior college. I have been planning on going to SMU for a few years now because I first off wanted to be a marketing major.. Now I've switched to Geology. I wasn't aware that jobs could see your GPA and grades, I thought a degree was a degree no matter what so that definitley gives me something else to factor in... I've heard it's very hard to keep grades up at UT, but I actually don't know anyone at SMU so I couldn't vouch for there. |
|
| |
|
 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I don't think it really does. Basically what one gets out of an education is a broad sense, perhaps a more acute sense if one has a specific interest in a specific area, of the theory and applications of ones major. After that, its up to you to get a job in your field and your career has a way of specializing you based on your capacity in one regard or another.
I minored in Reclamation for my BS, and my whole career has been based on stabilization of erosion, water running downhill, and all things reclamation. Life has a funny way of manipulating your strengths if you let it.
I have never had an employer even question where I got my BS. They want to know that I do have one, but its hearing my job experience they're hungry for. |
|
| |
|
 I keep my butt inside
Posts: 3281
Location: Weatherford, Texas | What are you wanting to do with your degree is what I would decide first. Texas has a good geology program but so does A&M- and if there is any chance you end up in the oil/gas industry then A&M has a freakishly strong alumni network that would be helpful. The Aggie network is feverishly loyal to each other so if you are in an industry with lots of aggies- they will give preference (admitted or not) to other aggies. I cannot explain how strong the A&M network is and how important and helpful it is. The ring alone has opened a TON of doors for me from Texas to Canada (literally).
I went to A&M so of course I support the school- but it doesn't matter where you do grades wise- it is what you make it. SMU is extremely costly and I don't know of the alumni network of SMU is as strong or as large as A&M or Texas.
And just for a side joke I love (but is true a lot of the time in Texas)- what do you call and Aggie graduate? Boss. 
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2457
| outrundaizy - 2014-07-30 9:57 PM Yes we have factored in price.. I would be transfering after 2 years at a junior college. I have been planning on going to SMU for a few years now because I first off wanted to be a marketing major.. Now I've switched to Geology. I wasn't aware that jobs could see your GPA and grades, I thought a degree was a degree no matter what so that definitley gives me something else to factor in... I've heard it's very hard to keep grades up at UT, but I actually don't know anyone at SMU so I couldn't vouch for there.
Depending on your field - Grades and your transcript will follow you for your whole carreer. Keep in mind that they will see if you re-took a class, took it only for pass/fail, or what you did in it. There are no explainations, just grades.
In my experience in a very competitive research field ... the students I choose must have good grades and come with good references for their work ethic.
As someone mentioned earlier - alumni networks will help but also references are what get you in the door with jobs. Then your interview either confirms or denies what they already believe. |
|
| |
|
 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | cooper08 - 2014-07-And just for a side joke I love (but is true a lot of the time in Texas )- what do you call and Aggie graduate? Boss.
We've lived in Texas almost 18 years and that is the first Aggie joke I've heard that wasn't demeaning being an Aggie..LOL
These are the kind of jokes we've always heard..
#10
Did you hear about the Cessna airplane that crashed in a cemetery in College Station?
Aggie search and rescue workers have recovered 300 bodies so far and are still digging.
#9
Did you hear about the Aggie who won a gold medal at the Olympics?
He was so proud of the award that he decided to get it bronzed.
#8
Did you hear about the Aggie who got locked out of his car?
He spent two hours trying to get his wife and kids out.
#7
Did you hear about the Aggie that broke his leg raking leaves?
He fell out of the tree.
#6
Did you hear about the Aggie whose wife gave birth to twins?
He wanted to know who the other man was.
#5
I think it's a shame the way everyone picks on Aggies. After all it was an Aggie engineer that invented the toilet seat.
Of course a UT engineer stole the design and cut a hole in the middle ...
#4
Did you hear about the Aggie at the stop sign?
He's still there.
#3
Did you hear about the skeleton they found in a closet in one of the dorms at A&M?
It was the 1963 hide-and-go-seek champion!
#2
Why do Aggies hate M&Ms?
They're too hard to peel.
#1
Why can't Aggie farmers raise chickens?
They plant the eggs too deep.
|
|
| |
Folks on-line