<p>i have been on the board so thanks everyone for support. my son seems to be settling on third tier small private college due to scholarship will save $$ for graduate school. But how competitive is that school and does it matter for grad school? School is PLU. Also admitted to UW and Pepperdine altough pepperdine is $$$. Please advise</p>
<p>What is PLU???</p>
<p>PLU = Pacific Lutheran University?</p>
<p>Sometimes it is good (for future grad school admissions) to come from a smaller, lower tier college. You can more chances to win top awards (fewer chemistry majors competing for the "best chemistry major" award) and to work closely with faculty members (possibilities for good undergrad research, for good letters of reference).</p>
<p>You have a smart kid. Chances are he will be the professors' pet, will have lots of opportunities to do undergrad. research, be an undergrad. TA or tutor, etc. etc. etc. Those things will count.</p>
<p>My baby sister went to a totally no-name small local liberal arts college. The place produces lots of teachers and nurses. It also produces plenty of folks who go off to Med school and grad school. It even produced an astronaut!</p>
<p>What your son makes out of college is mostly up to him.</p>
<p>Wishing you both good luck!</p>
<p>I don't think that it will hurt your son at all. Reading the posts on CC, it's very easy to get a skewed perspective of the educational value of second tier, third tier and fourth tier schools. Remember that the VAST majority of colleges and universities in the U.S. are NOT in the first tier and many of those students go on be very successful in life. Conversely, not everyone that goes to a top school ends up working in a dream job making a gazillion dollars a year. FIT is really important and not emphasized nearly enough in the college selection process. If your son is happy at PLU, chances are that he'll do well -- and that will make him an attractive candidate for graduate school.</p>
<p>Just being a male at PLU will make him stand out... and being extra bright will make the professors notice him.
WHat's he interested in? Are we talking grad school in Biology or in some obscure social science niche where the PLU studies might not be adequate?</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all of your feedback. He is interested in history of sciences, possibly pre-med but who knows.</p>
<p>PLU is a great school, with an excellent biology department, track record of med school and vet school admits, and probably the happiest student body you'll find anywhere. I'm not sure I see the problem.</p>
<p>My son really wants to go to Pepperdine, which costs $$$$$$ and has also been admitted to PLU which actually gave him a Provost scholarship ($$ we can save for him to apply to med school, grad school, or a new house for that matter) and the reputation overall is not that great. I will admit, however, that the Biology and especially Chem depart look great and profs are from IVY's or close.</p>