<p>I am an International student from India and I'll be coming to the US this fall to start my undergraduate studies.</p>
<p>Since I am from a very low income family, I will have to attend a state university which is not very well ranked by USNR ( McNeese State ) as they offered me a full ride. I have been accepted to their Honors college and I'll be majoring in Computer Science.</p>
<p>My high school GPA is 3.9 and my SAT score is 2150. My question is if I continue to work hard, maintain a solid GPA throughout the 4 years of my college and involve myself in meaningful research, will I have a decent shot at a top level graduate school? Or will attending a third tier school doom me for life?</p>
<p>If your goal is to go to a top 10 or 20 university for graduate school (especially for a PhD program), then the most important thing you can do is get involved with a research group as soon as possible. Going to a “not-top” university for your undergraduate career does not mean that you can not go to a “top” university for graduate school, however, your undergraduate school will heavily influence what you can do to get where you want. If your school offers you the possibility of joining a research group then do what you can to join said group either your 1st or 2nd semester. By joining a research group you will be able to hopefully obtain a letter of recommendation from your research advisor down the road. This letter of recommendation, coupled with others from professors, can then be used to apply to summer research internships once you are a sophomore of junior. </p>
<p>As you also mentioned, maintaining a good GPA is an important factor, but do not get too obsessed on keeping a perfect 4.0 . People with 3.5 and above have gotten into MIT, Harvard, Stanford, etc. for graduate school, but since you are an international student then I would suggest trying to keep it above a 3.75. Also, having a 3.75 and years of research experience truncates having a 4.0 and no research experience. </p>
<p>Finally, enjoy your undergraduate college years and get to know professors and potential research advisors as soon as possible. </p>
<p>Like you, I am an international student who currently attends a mid sized state school. So far I have done a summer research experience at a top 10 university and will be returning this summer, so if you have any questions regarding summer research programs feel free to ask.</p>
<p>No, attending a third-tier state university will not “doom you for life.” Where you went to college doesn’t matter that much even for your first job except in very high-prestige fields like banking or consulting, but especially after your first or second job it won’t matter much at all - what will matter is your experience.</p>
<p>Yes, if you work hard and get a good solid GPA, you will have a good shot at a good graduate school. What you do in undergrad is far more important than where you go. If you already know you want to go to grad school, get involved in research immediately.</p>
<p>If your goal is to get a PhD from a top school, besides the advice given above you may also first complete a Master’s degree from a top program, doing well on it would up your chances at admission to a doctorate program considerably. Most Master’s programs are usually two or three semesters long if you attend full-time.</p>
<p>^That depends heavily on the field. In my field, master’s programs are much more commonly 4 semesters long even if you attend full time, which will take 2 academic years. Also, in one of my fields a master’s degree doesn’t necessarily increase chances of admission; it’s research experience that does that. The MA students often have more of that, but it’s sometimes more productive (and cheaper) to take 2-3 years to work as a lab technician or research coordinator than it is to get an MA.</p>
<p>A Masters degree is not necessarily required if you want to go for a Ph.D. eventually. If you do well in your courses, get involved in research and have strong grades and GRE scores, you will be able to get into a Ph.D. program right away.</p>
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