<p>My son has been accepted to schools that differ tremendously in style and scope and is having a tough time deciding on an undergrad program. He would like to get a Ph.D. ultimately (at least right now, that is the plan). His preference is for a smaller school that is non-doctoral level, a small engineering program associated with a liberal arts school. But we are both wondering if that will hurt him if he wants to shoot for a strong doctoral level program in the future. Is getting into a M.S and/or Ph.D program in engineering similar to getting into Medical or Law schools - that the undergrad school is very important for getting into the top programs? Or, if he did well in the undergrad program, without much access to cutting edge research but some access to internships, would he still be a viable candidate?</p>