BTW where you went to school can help GET the interview in the first place.
Where a company recruits may indicate what schools it values most. When I look up where Microsoft has recruiting events in Massachusetts
http://careers.microsoft.com/careers/en/us/recruiting-events.aspx I see Harvard, Olin, and MIT, all highly selective. Nothing at UMass Amherst, the state flagship. In California it has events at many schools, including some less prestigious ones. Maybe a "name" school helps you get noticed by companies that are far away. I understand that the lack of on-campus recruiting is a surmountable hurdle and am sure that there are UMass Amherst graduates at Microsoft.
