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<p>Not surprising to me - getting into Berkeley or U. Michigan carries very little prestige for those gunning for Ivies, MIT, Caltech, etc. And reality says a large number of those in that pool would a) rather not pay a ton to go to one of these as an out-of-state student, b) rather not “submit” to studying at the in-state school that everyone around me gets into AND is infamous for tough grading in math/science/engineering.</p>
<p>Departmental strength =/= undergrad prestige, and the latter seems to carry more weight in the hearts of students.</p>