Undergrad School: Does It Matter?

[Sheneron]

I have heard a lot of people say that it doesn't matter where you go to school for undergrad, but when you apply to grad school would it not have a little more merit to have good grades from a well known school rather then good grades from a place no one has really heard about?

Right now, I am at a smaller institution that isn't very well known and I would possibly like to apply for grad school. If I make good grades, and do internships will I have a good shot at a good grad school? Does it really make no difference where you go for undergrad?

 

[BioCore]

See when applying to Grad School, I believe one of the things they look at more than grades is your involvement in the field. What type of research you did, how your references describe you and all. What I think, is if you are really worried or even if not; try to get some volunteer research or an ROP(research opportunity program) with a well known professor from your school. Having someone like that in your reference letter will really help out.

 

[stewartcs]

I have heard a lot of people say that it doesn't matter where you go to school for undergrad, but when you apply to grad school would it not have a little more merit to have good grades from a well known school rather then good grades from a place no one has really heard about?

Right now, I am at a smaller institution that isn't very well known and I would possibly like to apply for grad school. If I make good grades, and do internships will I have a good shot at a good grad school? Does it really make no difference where you go for undergrad?

I would say that it indeed matters where one attends University at the undergraduate level. That is the place where one develops the foundation on which to build ones education.

CS

 

[bravernix]

Just go to the best place you can that you get a good feel for (by visiting and talking to professors and students). However, you also must take advantage of every opportunity you can while you are there. I think it would certainly be easier to go to a first-tier school and get into a first-tier graduate school, but it definitely depends on how you spend your time. It's more about the connections and research opportunities that you would have at a "better" school, rather than the name on your degree. Get involved in productive research as early as possible! There was a post on here awhile back about someone's brother that received an engineering degree from Berkeley. He seemed to think that just having that name on his degree would get him a job, but soon found out that with a terrible GPA (it was in a C/D average if I remember correctly) and no internships, no one wanted to hire him. Don't make that kind of mistake!

On the other hand, it is quite possible to go to a no-name school for undergrad and get into a great graduate school (that's what I did). You just have to work hard, be involved, and get good recommendations.