Drake University

Date: Feb 26 2009
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
Drake University does a great job of selling the university on the front end. They talk about Drake's "great" reputation and "strong" alumni base. After graduating, I realized that NEITHER of these things exist. I live in Chicago and some people are familiar with Drake, but certainly not impressed by it. Outside of the Midwest, virtually no one has ever heard of Drake. This school will NOT help you to get an elite job in a competitive industry, ex: Wall Street, consulting, trading, etc. . . Outside of the state of Iowa, people do not view Drake as an impressive school. It isn't even close to being a top tier private Midwest university when compared with Northwestern, WashU, Notre Dame, or U of Chicago. The Drake alumni base is virtually non-existent. Once you graduate, you're on your own. You can't rely on networking with alumni for career assistance because there is the alumni base is completely unorganized and the mentality of taking care of fellow alums does not exist. Drake does a horrible job of getting competitive companies to recruit on campus. The employers that attend the jobfairs are mainly small Iowa-based companies as well as Des Moines insurance companies. If you have any aspirations of leaving Iowa after you graduate, Drake is of NO assistance. There is no reason why an elite financial institution from NY or Chicago would come all the way to Des Moines, considering that there are so many other good schools across the country that are located in geographically relevant locations, ex: NY, Chi, Boston, SF. Des Moines is a minor league city and Drake is a minor league university. Say no to Drake and strive for more. If I could do it all over again, I would do everything differently. Please contact me if you have any questions.