Zal Bilimoria didn't take the first job that came his way. A 2004 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School, he got offers from a major credit-card company and a private bank. But the economics major declined them all. He was waiting for Microsoft's recruiters to visit campus and interview candidates.

Today, he's happy he did, and so is Microsoft, which hired him last year as an associate marketing manager in its Worldwide OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) Marketing Division. Microsoft hopes to attract more top talent like Bilimoria during the current 2005 fiscal year -- one that will see the company continue to expand its efforts to recruit new college graduates in an increasingly competitive hiring market.

The results of a recent survey may bode well for Microsoft. The study of more than 14,000 students at 88 leading universities found that the company is the No. 1 employer of choice among U.S. undergraduates. In addition, Microsoft was chosen the most desirable IT company to work for, and the fourth-best employer for valuing diversity, according to the study conducted by the college recruiting consulting firm Universum Communications.

Microsoft was the only technology company in the Top 10, with 11.36 percent of the students polled choosing it as their preferred place to work. Among the top 40 companies, Microsoft topped a prestigious list of technology and non-technology giants, including BMW, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boeing and General Electric.