<p>@sakky:</p>
<p>i think you make a lot of good points that probably explain why many great students attend ivies and other unis that are overall very prestigious. but i think that there are probably also a great many who don’t. here is my logic:</p>
<p>i think that what you wrote holds true for many liberal arts and business-type majors.
however, at high-caliber unis in particular, my strong impression is that there is a much larger percentage of premed and engineering students than at lower-tier colleges. a great many are aspiring doctors, lawyers, and engineers. although i can’t say how your undergrad institution affects your chances at various law schools, i can say with great confidence that, for medical schools, it matters very little and that, for engineering, it’s not at all about the university prestige, it’s about the STEM dept. engineering programs at most institutions that are household names aren’t even arguably among the best engineering schools in the country (as perceived by engineers). furthermore, the ones that really stand out in the field are obscure to many outsiders (Harvey Mudd, Georgia Institute of Tech, U Illinois). for a lot of people, HYPS is the only thing that really gets them going. the fact that HYPS is even a widely recognized acronym here on CC and that these unis are all grouped together in the same set as if they are in a league of their own is a testament to the absurd heights people raise them to).</p>
<p>so, basically, i think it is likely that a ton of exceptional high school students are going to be dead set on the doctor or engineering route and, for the former, where you attend uni matters very little and, for the latter, overall prestige is not at all closely correlated with the strength of your program.</p>