Programs Do you agree that B.A. programs for the same degree tend to vary by school alot

[Jurrasic]

If your looking for a school to transfer to from a JC, if you look at schools offering your major, mostly all the schools kind of have different classes required to major in a particular subject.
(For example, one school around here has a class about business that is in their engineering B.A. program, and no other school has that, so if you don't like business classes then applying to that school is probably not a good idea,) Do you honestly agree that picking a school based mostly on what classes they have for undergrad and grad school in their B.A. or M.A. program weighs heavily on your decision to apply to the school or do you just choose a school based on whether friends are going there, location and that sort of thing? Also do you believe that a school is a school and any school offering the degree is the same as any other?

 

[Geezer]

If your looking for a school to transfer to from a JC, if you look at schools offering your major, mostly all the schools kind of have different classes required to major in a particular subject.
(For example, one school around here has a class about business that is in their engineering B.A. program, and no other school has that, so if you don't like business classes then applying to that school is probably not a good idea,) Do you honestly agree that picking a school based mostly on what classes they have for undergrad and grad school in their B.A. or M.A. program weighs heavily on your decision to apply to the school or do you just choose a school based on whether friends are going there, location and that sort of thing? Also do you believe that a school is a school and any school offering the degree is the same as any other?

Classes matter, but the quality of the school itself (e.g., the more prestigious, higher-ranked, and research-intensive) will matter more if you have any plans to go to grad school. I'd never select an engineering program based on whether it required a business course or not, but I'd sure as heck take the program's reputation into account.

 

[zif.]

the quality of the school itself (e.g., the more prestigious, higher-ranked, and research-intensive) will matter more if you have any plans to go to grad school.

I have been told numerous times by many profs from multiple schools (and on this site) that your undergrad institution's reputation does not matter concerning getting into grad school.

It just has to be an accredited, degree granting institution and cover the material you're expected to know as a grad student in your field. It falls to you as the student to get high grades and get involved with any research you can.Going into industry as an engineer on the other hand...

Your undergrad institution *may* matter when securing your *first* job.

 

[Geezer]

I have been told numerous times by many profs from multiple schools (and on this site) that your undergrad institution's reputation does not matter concerning getting into grad school.

Not in my experience. A 4.0 from MIT is regarded differently by admissions committees than a 4.0 from a no-name school (e.g. Southeastern State U).

 

[Angry Citizen]

I have been told numerous times by many profs from multiple schools (and on this site) that your undergrad institution's reputation does not matter concerning getting into grad school.

I've been told that it does matter, but in the sense that it's 'icing on the cake', as it were.

I think picking a program based on one course is extremely silly, unless that one course is something you really really want to take; not because it's something you really really don't want to take.