<p>It is possible to take a step up from the undergrad college you go to when you apply to grad school. I received my BA from Kalamazoo College, a steady school but not one you'd see discussed much on these boards (ranked 82 in Princeton Review). For grad school, I received a Ph.D. in history from Brown University and an M.Ln. from Emory University, both schools ranked considerably higher. I was also accepted at UChicago, Johns Hopkins, and UMichigan, and rejected at Yale and Cornell. </p>
<p>You can go to a lower tier school but just make sure you work your tush off and end up first in your college class if you want to step up.</p>