<p>Is there some sort of statistic that could show what percentage of UA students go on to earn their graduate degrees, and further, where the majority of these graduate degrees are from?
Does anybody know roughly how many UA graduates are immediately accepted into an ivy graduate program upon completion of their undergraduate degree?</p>
<p>I don’t know if that stat is kept somewhere…especially since students aren’t under any obligation to tell Bama where they’re going to grad school. And, many undergrads don’t go on to grad schools because it isn’t often needed…or going to an elite school isn’t needed (for instance, if you’re seeking a graduate degree in education, nursing, or even engineering, going to an ivy isn’t really preferable.</p>
<p>Also, if there were such a stat, it would only be relevant when compared to the number that actually applied. My own son went right from Bama to an elite university’s PhD program (not an ivy) and he was accepted to EVERY PhD program that he applied to, yet he didn’t apply to any ivies…wasn’t interested. </p>
<p>I doubt Bama knows where my son is going to grad school…there isn’t really something set up to report that.</p>
<p>I don’t really think the question should be: how many go to ivies…but how many get accepted to top programs wherever they are…Duke, Vandy, Berkeley, UChicago, Northwestern, etc, etc…</p>
<p>I do know of several Bama grads who are now in ivy med schools, but I only know that because I have a pre-med son and we keep out ear to those announcements by students.</p>
<p>That’s true, I should not have worded it that way.
Top programs would be a more appropriate question.
What were some of the better ones your son was accepted to?</p>
<p>My son doesn’t want me posting where he’s attending because PhD programs are small. He kept his apps pretty much in states that didn’t have extreme cold…he initially had a list of about 15 schools, but once his acceptances started coming in, and he was accepted to his first choice, he didn’t continue applying. So, in the end, he applied/was accepted to about 6 PhD programs.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that top programs for particular majors aren’t necessarily all at elite schools. A couple of the schools that my son applied to would be super-safeties as an undergrad, but they have top PhD programs. For instance, UArizona has a well-ranked PhD program in Math (and hard to get into), but obviously it would easily be a safety as an undergrad.</p>
<p>Getting accepted to (fully funded) PhD programs can be almost as difficult as being accepted to med school. Acceptance rates for “safety PhD programs” (ha ha) can be as low as 10%. My son’s top choice only accepted 2-3% of applicants. </p>
<p>Getting accepted to grad school has LITTLE to do with your undergrad…it has a LOT to do with your GPA, courses taken, LORs, and…your GRE scores. GRE scores matter a lot. </p>
<p>My son’s PhD classmates are from a variety of undergrads…ranging from elites to flagships and even a couple from unranked regional publics.</p>
<p>This is somewhat deviating from my original question, but do you happen to know if there are any from “third tier” undergrads? Schools that would not be ranked on usnews and are likely somewhat unknown even in the surrounding area?</p>
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<p>Ain’t that the truth! I attended Michigan State for grad school and the acceptance rate for my program was 2%. Needless to say, I also received plenty of rejections. </p>
<p>My class included undergrads from Purdue, Harvard, Cal, Dusquesne, Rochester, Grinnell, Oberlin, Vermont, Clark, Arizona State, Manhattan College, Ohio State, and . . . I’m too old to remember the rest, but it was a pretty good spread of schools. </p>
<p>Speaking of rejections, I can’t wait for the opening football game next season when we stuff those miserable University of Michigan Wolverines back into the den from whence they came.</p>
<p>Sorry for the digression. 
Roll Tide.</p>
<h1>This is somewhat deviating from my original question, but do you happen to know if there are any from “third tier” undergrads? Schools that would not be ranked on usnews and are likely somewhat unknown even in the surrounding area?</h1>
<p>I’m not sure what you’re asking. Are there any what from third tier undergrads???</p>
<p>In my earlier post I said that my son’s PhD classmates include some kids from schools that aren’t ranked at all…and this grad school is a top 20 school.</p>
<p>Nihility: I may be able to give you a little information (and I do mean, little) on where top grads go. The admissions rep for our area is a UA grad. She is also a grad of the U. of Virginia law school, which ranks in the top 14 for law schools. My son, who is in his third year at UA, has known some Alabama grads who have gone to Northwestern and Vandy’s for grad/law school. His roommate has told me that Georgetown law is home to several UA grads.</p>
<p>The following was posted on another CC forum by uaprophet in 2009 and is on point with respect to this discussion:</p>
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<p>mom2ck- Sorry, inappropriate use of a pronoun. I meant, were there any graduate students at the top program who came from third tier undergrads? But you answered the question already. </p>
<p>momreads- Another informative post, and the kind of information I was looking for. Thanks. </p>
<p>malanai- That post applies to me, because I’m in a similar situation. I’ve applied to a few top 25 undergraduate schools, and if I am accepted I will have to make a difficult decision. I’ve already been accepted to the University of Rochester, a highly regarded undergraduate school that really appeals to me because of its placement of students in internships, its flexible curriculum allowing for MULTIPLE diverse majors, and the small close knit environment where a large percentage of all undergrads stay on campus. However, on the other hand, I have UA. A school that could very well have some of the most satisfied students in the country and a school that will allow me to focus entirely on my coursework without any concern for finances as a result of their overly generous scholarship offer.</p>
<p>Just to clarify…Bama is not a third tier undergrad. I’m guessing that you’re calling a school “third tier” when it’s ranked about 100 or more…or maybe unranked???</p>
<p>The fact that my son quickly received acceptances (all with full tuition plus large stipends) indicates that the schools weren’t hemming and hawing over accepting a Bama grad. </p>
<p>Bama grads who have strong stats don’t have trouble getting accepted to top grad schoool programs.</p>
<p>Mom knows best. Take the money and run!</p>
<p>Just kidding about the latter. Find your best fit, of course. However, let me point out that UA will bend over backwards to accommodate your desire for multiple, diverse, and even unique multi-disciplinary majors. That point was hammered over and over to us by Honors College Dean Shane Sharpe during our visit. </p>
<p>Perhaps it would be worth your while to contact Dr. Sharpe, share your academic vision, and see how he can suggest ways that UA might help you make it happen. Best of luck. Let us know how it turns out.</p>
<p>mom2ck- I absolutely wasn’t referring to UA in that way, a top 100 school wouldn’t be third tier by anybody’s standards… It was a separate question, which is why I said I was somewhat deviating from my original thread topic.</p>
<p>malanai- I’m visiting next month, so I should have some good chances to share my vision with UA faculty and get their suggestions.</p>
<p>Ask Allison to set up an appt with Dr. Sharpe…he can discuss your multi-major interests with you. Bama has no problem with kids doing multiple majors/minors or even doing their masters at the same time.</p>
<p>And if you want an edge for grad school admissions, consider doing your masters at the same time…thru University Scholars. My older son didn’t do it, but many do and it would be a leg-up for PhD admissions.</p>