Does "Ivy" status matter in anthropology?

[anxiousanthro]

hello all! 

 

I've never been one to be place much value on the "name brand" of a school.  However, I have been accepted to both a state school with a top-ranked anthropology department and an ivy.  The ivy funding package is significantly larger, but the state school's offer would still be financially feasible for me to accept.  

 

Does anyone have opinions about how much an ivy league degree would matter in future job placement within academia?  People I tell outside academia are surprised that I am struggling to decide between the two, but I believe that the state school has a better reputation within anthropology (though the ivy is more highly regarded when considering the uni as a whole)...

 

Any perspectives would be very much appreciated!  I hope everyone is managing to survive this terrible process!

[anthropologygeek]

I don't know for your subfield but I know for mine, my current non ivy school will get me the better job than an ivy school would but I think it may be case by case basis

[anxiousanthro]

I am sociocultural.  Both departments are also sociocultural.  

[rising_star]

Depends on what your career goals are, and you have to keep in mind that these may change.

[Seeking]

A lot depends upon how influential your POI is.

 

Perhaps you can see the POIs' profiles at both schools and how successful their students have been in finding a job after PhD. Schools usually have a list of alumni, where they are now and you can search the profiles of PhD candidates under your POIs in Google.

 

But I speak as an outsider. Attending candidates in your sub-field may be able to say better if they know about the names of both schools - perhaps in PM.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Seeking

[Nerd_For_Life]

Depends, what are the schools?

[imwalkingwest]

from most of the experience i have in anthropology, ivy is not really an advantage. big ten schools / uc schools place more phds than ivies do, generally speaking because of the focus on research of the professors at ivy's and the lack of attention paid to grad students. it's not an environment i'd want to go to school in, but that doesn't mean they don't produce great scholars. just depends on what you're looking for.