<p>Hey! I was wondering if I could get into MIT for grad school for CS if I went to my flagship state school (Umass), got good grades, and had good research experience. What kind of GPA would I need? Would I be at a significant disadvantage to people from better schools?</p>
<p>You absolutely can, but it’s very difficult. The MIT EECS PhD program admits around 5% of applicants.</p>
<p>The key factors for graduate school admissions are research experience and professor recommendations. You’d be at a disadvantage at a large school only to the extent that your research opportunities and professor contact are less abundant than students at smaller, richer schools.</p>