<p>The school definitely makes a difference and a 3.7 at a top tier school is NOT the same as a 3.7 at a less competitive school. The message that the former sends is that the student can succeed academically at an institution of similar caliber. Adcoms don't want to admit people who they won't feel will be academically successful - and a CC doesn't really indicate this as much as a top tier school. They also want to admit people whom they think would have been admissible straight out of high school. I think this is especially true for Ivies, as CC's aren't traditional feeder instutitions for them. When you think about everyone else who is applying to Ivies for transfer, the person from a CC is going to fall to the bottom of the pile compared to those who come from competitive schools.</p>