<p>i know this isnt a chance thing, but i am curious about your opinions.</p>
<p>do you think it matters where one goes to undergrad/college in general? i had this discussion with a friend earlier. he thinks that the "name" of a school isnt that important when applying for a job/to grad school. this confused me, because many family members have told me otherwise, that its important to go to a prestigious school because it will give an advantage. im just wondering if you think the "name" of a school is important. thank you</p>
<p>It depends. I think, at least in philosophy, it is important—but maybe not in the way you think. For example, having gone to Harvard won’t get you as far as having been somewhere that a famous philosopher has taught at…and even more important is who you worked with during undergrad while doing research. (And in philosophy, you <em>better</em> have done research.)</p>
<p>Not really. I mean yes, there is a big difference in going to some small school that all the local kids go to than going to an Ivy or a Northwestern type school, but as long as you work hard and get good grades and show that you are intelligent in driven it doesn’t make THAT much of a difference. It depends on what you want to pursue also. But I think a lot of that depends on what you’re looking for in a school.</p>