<p>Does Grad schools really care what Undergrad school you go to?
Do they care if you to CC -> Transfer to Undergrad?
Are some colleges from the 'Colleges that Change lives' list have higher acceptance rates from the well knows UC's and Ivies?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>1) No
2) No
3) Depends on the field, the year, etc. etc.</p>
<p>WilliamC, I definitely think you're wrong here. Of course grad schools care which college you went to.</p>
<p>If an applicant has a high GPA from a no-name school, the most you can say about this person is that he/she stood out among a crowd of mediocre students. That really doesn't tell you much. If an applicant has a high GPA from Caltech, you can say this student is among the best in the country. </p>
<p>Also, students from no-name schools are simply not tested at the same level as those from top schools. Depth of study and difficulty of exams are entirely dependent on student ability. I believe students at top schools tend to have a deeper understanding of their studies because of this. </p>
<p>Now that I'm in grad school, I've noticed testing is way harder, and far more is expected of me. This is because we're all smart here, but not everyone can get a 4.0, so exams must be more difficult (meaning deeper knowledge of the material is necessary) to force a grade distribution.</p>
<p>Addwit, I don't know how true that necessarily is. Two of my good friends here at Caltech went to University of Texas: El Paso and ASU. Neither of those schools are really known for being exceptional places for engineering, but they're both doing pretty darned well here.</p>
<p>I think you might have a little more leeway when you go to a well known school in your field, but it's certainly possible to go to a top notch school after going to an undergrad that isn't as widely known.</p>
<p>Of course it's possible for students from not-so-great schools to get into top graduate programs, but I do believe there is some risk involved. Sure, they stood out among average students, but can they compete with the best? Adcoms simply don't know. </p>
<p>I would imagine they both had very successful research experience and amazing recommendations, because based purely on schoolwork, not much can be said no matter their GPA. </p>
<p>This is just my opinion. I very well could be wrong.</p>
<p>This excerpt from A Mathematician's Survival Guide is specifically about grad school admissions in math, but the same concept might apply to other subjects as well:</p>
<p>
[quote]
My university has one of the better graduate departments in mathematics. If we get an application from a student from The Silver Spoon College For Fine Ladies And Gentlemen, together with a letter saying that this is the best student they have seen in ten years, then I have to tell you frankly that it is rather difficult for us to assess the case. We don't know any of the faculty at Silver Spoon, we don't know the curriculum at Silver Spoon, we have never had a student from Silver Spoon, and we have no idea what a math major from Silver Spoon will know. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, there are good colleges in this country where the abstract algebra class involves primarily chatting in a vague manner about groups and rings and the real analysis class consists of looking at pictures of the Weierstrass nowhere differentiable function and trying to feature compact sets.... A student going through such a curriculum may indeed emerge as the best mathematician they have seen in ten years, but such a student will have no hope of success in a good graduate program.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So yes, your undergraduate college does matter.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
If we get an application from a student from The Silver Spoon College For Fine Ladies And Gentlemen...We don't know any of the faculty at Silver Spoon, we don't know the curriculum at Silver Spoon, we have never had a student from Silver Spoon, and we have no idea what a math major from Silver Spoon will know.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Ok, fine, I can accept that fictitious anecdote. However, I would argue that most people who come on these forums asking the question "Does it matter what undergrad I go to?" are closer to wondering "Will the prestigious Ivy (that they may not be able to afford) make a huge difference versus the cheaper state school (that is still, within its own right, reputable)?" Or even state school versus small LAC, or whatever. I doubt anyone is actually asking if it matters if they go to Harvard versus DeVry.</p>
<p>So in my experience and opinion: Does it matter Reputable School versus Silver Spoon College (the reputation of which would be unknown to most adcoms)? Of course.
Reputable School versus Other Reputable School? For the most part, no.</p>
<p>"we have never had a student from Silver Spoon, and we have no idea what a math major from Silver Spoon will know."</p>
<p>What morons. They can pick up the telephone and call them.</p>
<p>And, in this day and age given the tough job market for Ph.D.s in very nearly every field, chances are that "Silver Spoon" has faculty who trained at the very department that now claims to never have heard of the place.</p>