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Have myself 2-3 years of work experience and then go to a top business school like Wharton School of Business. I know I have to still be a good student but after a college admissions officer told me that generally it doesn't matter where you go to when you apply to undergrad school because it's the grad school that will really give you a name and to the grad school a gpa is a gpa no matter where you went.
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<p>Of course the presumption here is that you really will be able to get into a top graduate program later. The truth is, graduate admissions are quite fickle and unpredictable. Especially B-school admissions. You might have great numbers, great work experience, great rec's, a great interview, and STILL not get into a decent B-school. </p>
<p>For example, I knew a guy who had a highly successful career as an engineer, and so applied to a number of top B-schools. He didn't get in anywhere. However, with the money he made, he was able to afford to bum around for a couple of years, so that's exactly what he did - he basically bummed around the country on his motorcycle for 2 years. After that, he applied to those same B-schools again, and this time he got into a few. But why did he get in now instead of 2 years ago? It's not like those 2 years of riding his bike made him a more qualified applicant. His numbers were the same. His rec's and essays were the same. So what's changed? The point is that B-school admissions can be highly perplexing and seemingly random. Sometimes you just really can't fathom why somebody got rejected and why somebody else got admitted. You can have excellent qualifications and still find out that, by luck of the draw, that you don't get in anywhere. </p>
<p>If you go to a top undergrad program, at least you've locked in a top program, as opposed to waiting for admission to a top graduate program which may never happen. A bird in the hand vs. 2 in the bush. </p>
<p>Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that everybody should always choose to go to a top undergrad program over a lesser one. This is a decision that every individual has to make for himself. What I am saying is that nobody can presume that admission to a top grad school is guaranteed. It might happen. It might not happen. Who knows?</p>