<p>I understand topics of this nature are heavily covered, however, I have never seen an honest assessment of my specific quandary. I am currently seeking my BA in political science at Northern Arizona University; I am in my second year. It is a little known state school that is unranked with US News. I have an excellent GPA and several extracurriculars and plan to get involved in research and internships this upcoming semester.</p>
<p>There is a lingering worry in the back of mind, though. I would like to move on to a top tier graduate school, not just for the opportunities the prestige would lend but also for a chance to work with and study under the brightest minds in my field. I do honestly believe that I am intelligent and hardworking enough to succeed at these institutions but I fret over the fact that I might never have the chance. </p>
<p>I understand the first response everyone has is no matter your undergraduate school if you work hard and find opportunities you can achieve what you strive for, but I cannot help but feel a level of insincerity from those who say it while getting bachelors degrees from Ivy League institutions. We all know the competitiveness for graduate programs is at an all time high, and I worry that the simple fact that I am attending what is by my own admission a mediocre college will completely prevent my acceptance into an elite program. I am not speaking of the average state school that so many of you seem to be attending, I am speaking of a school that has no reputation. </p>
<p>In this competitive climate is it really possible to break this caste system and move to a prestigious graduate program, even a top 50 program? I have my doubts despite what many of you have said before. Is there anyone that can offer truly empirical evidence on this matter?</p>
<p>Have you talked to any of your professors in the poli sci department? If you are a standout student they will notice you and potentially recommend you to the institutions where they got their PhDs or otherwise have connections.</p>
<p>I have developed communication with my professors, however, none of my professors have attended any of the universities to which I am currently looking. Is that what it would take to get accepted into these programs? I understand strong letters of recommendation are important, which is one reason I am planning to do research with several members of the faculty before I graduate, but would it take one of my professors having a personal connection to these programs for their recommendation to mean anything?</p>
<p>No. It doesn’t mean you are doomed. People get accepted from all kinds of undergraduate institutions into PhD programs. If you have a genuine commitment to your field of study and do well at your current university you will be a strong candidate. Don’t worry now about the specific graduate school you want to get into. Just do your best and avail yourself of every possible opportunity while you are there.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice. I suppose it is really the only advice someone can give about a situation so unsure. I do not know precisely what I was looking for. I chose this college because I was honestly concerned about my college experience and the money it would cost, and I know that prestige was among that last concerns I had when deciding but among the first concerns that developed when the inevitable next stage of consideration took hold. </p>
<p>I have considered, whether seriously or not, transferring to University of Arizona if only for the sake of receiving a diploma from a more reputable university. However, doing so would forsake my original intentions for choosing NAU as I would leave behind a city I love and the people who fill my life with joy.</p>
<p>Grad schools won’t care whether you went to UA or NAU.</p>