<p>How important is prestige at the undergraduate level? Does it make a difference if you graduate from a presitigious state university like Berkeley, uva, mich as opposed to decent state universities like wisconsin, psu, purdue, indiana, etc?</p>
<p>Most people say that its important to go to a prestigious graduate school for a better career in the future. I do agree with this. However, does it really make a difference if you attend Ohio State or Penn State as opposed to a college like Michigan or UVA?</p>
<p>highly motivated students will do well in any school. Lazy, but smart students need a more competitive atmosphere to push them. So, in a way, going to a academically competitive school does make a difference.</p>
<p>It's all on you, bro. Diligent and motivated students will excel at any college (like betterday stated)</p>
<p>Prestige is very important but not simply for the prestige alone. Prestige is important because it is something that develops over time from factors that are real.</p>
<p>Prestige is grossly overrated. Go to the best school that has the best fit for you where you will be happy and challenged. That might be a school with a high prestige factor, but DON'T go to a school because it is more prestigious than another school that you actually like better. </p>
<p>I work with a young man who graduated from Penn State. Smart, thoughtful, perceptive, able to work with others. I work with another who went to an Ivy and he spends half his time telling us how he went to such and such Ivy and we're all supposed to bow down and kiss his feet. The Penn Stater is running circles around the Ivy Leaguer and in more ways than one. </p>
<p>There are good and bad people at every school and my example above will probably come off as a little harsh. But the message is that people will get it (that you are smart and talented) even if you didn't attend that prestigious college.</p>
<p>hawkette: according to your advice then, one should go to the least prestigious school possible in order to stop being a pompous prick ... !</p>
<p>^^^Sorry if it came across that way. There are plenty of GREAT people going to Ivies and other prestigious schools and I definitely don't want to smear them. Let me try again. Going to a prestigious school is great. Going to a non-prestigious school can also be great. But people in life and in work willl make judgments of you based on you and not on your school. The name of your school might create an initial impression or permit a certain connection, but this is temporary and the individual is the one ultimately being judged, not the school. So, my advice is to find what works best for you and go where you will have the best fit and choose the school for the right reasons. </p>
<p>Is that better? :)</p>