Just a few months ago, I was one of many high school seniors scrambling to finish university applications before deadlines and undergo the dreaded wait for acceptances… wondering if I would be fortunate enough to be among the next batch of selected students. Then, during that process, you question which school you could you see yourself enjoying and spending the next four years of your life at. You wonder about the social environment, classroom environment, and even for the slightest second — you wonder about the prestige.
In both a Times article and a Huffington Post story, the value of a university’s brand name is questioned. The question: “does university reputation matter in hiring?” was asked and answered by CIOs and CFOs from companies around Canada. Their answers? 51% said yes, the rest a mix of somewhat and no.
Sauder School of Business – Opening Worlds
Harvard University – one of the world’s most recognized institutions. Does its prestige appeal to applicants?
So if companies are split almost evenly about this decision, why are students and parents scrutinizing the prestige of post-secondary institutions across the globe? I believe the answer lies in branding! Universities emphasize the statistics of recent graduates and their employment rates to attract prospective students to their schools. It relies on marketing its academic history, its campus, and its opportunities it can provide through programs such as “AmbaSauder” at Sauder or through letters sent by schools to the applicants’ homes. Attracting potential applicants is all a game of who can market their school the best. In some cases, it helps that large institutions attract applicants around the world solely because of their long-standing prestige. However, employment-wise, the prestige is not the deciding factor to employers. It’s the person and their ability to perform their designated roles. Check out James Fielder’s insightful post on his blog to further understand the effects of university reputations and its effects on applicants.