Choosing Schools!

Applying to College
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<p>So it's around the time that we're all narrowing down our decisions, waiting for some to come in still, and just choosing which school ultimately fits us.</p>

<p>Well for me, my dream school has been NYU. I've gotten in and now I'm having second thoughts.</p>

<p>Which leads me to plan for the future...grad school.</p>

<p>So i have a few questions about grad school, which will affect the decision i make to which undergrad to attend.</p>

<p>1) When applying to grad schools, do the schools you apply to judge you by the school you attend, or by your GPA, accomplishments, etc. Obviously, they're all going to factor in, but how much of an effect of where you went for undergrad is going to bear on the decision of your admittance to a top grad school?</p>

<p>2) I've asked two people this, and most say they almost won't judge you on where you go to school as an undergrad, which leads me to my second question: Then what is the motivation to attend a top undergrad like Yale, Harvard, or Cornell (low graduation rate btw) when you know its harder to attain a higher GPA since the courseload would be difficult? </p>

<p>Now finally, I really want to attend NYU but does attending a less selective school in NYU like Steinhardt going to affect my chances at a top grad school, or put me at a disadvantage, or even fall short of providing me the potential to go far?</p>

<p>NYU's expensive, I just want to know I'm making the right decision. Also I was accepted to UCLA...great academics, great price. I just don't think it fits me, which is why i asked the questions above. UCLA is ranked higher than NYU, so I assume the selectivity is higher. Will I be at lost if I chose NYU over UCLA?</p>

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<p>Getting into grad school in most fields isn't as insane as what happens in undergrad admissions. The best grad school for a particular field of science, for example, might not be a brand-name college. There is not the funnel effect. You may want to go to a top grad school with a particular Nobel prize winner at it, but it is not the mad rush to HYP that you see on CC.</p>

<p>Having said that, there are exceptions. Medical schools do consider the prestigiousness of your undergrad alma mater. Getting into Harvard Law is ten times easier if you attended Harvard as an undergrad.</p>

<p>However, it is obvious that the grad schools accept students from all types of colleges, especially state universities. It is certainly better to be in the top of the class at University of Maryland than the bottom of the class at Harvard. </p>

<p>The question about the higher gpa is hard to answer without pointing out that some of the very top colleges have unbelievable grade inflation. This may be because the 50% SAT ranges at HYP are 1400-1580. One out of every four students got either a 1590 or 1600. You can hardly have classes where people who got a mere 1280 are competing for a small # of A's under those conditions. </p>

<p>Another factor is money. If you are planning to go to grad school, it might be important to conserve your money so that you can pay for grad school.</p>

<p>The question probably comes down to the specifics such as what your field of study will be in grad school, the difference in price, and the difference in quality between the different schools. You can research and see where the undergrads at Steinhardt are typically accepted to grad school. Between NYU and UCLA, I wouldn't worry about it.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much dufus! this reallllly helped!</p>