<p>My experience has always been that the things that actually provide value to undergrads are rarely research or graduate school related. As a graduate of a Columbia professional school myself, I never had one encounter with an undergrad in an academic setting. </p>
<p>What gets you into a great grad school is a great undergrad story. The richest schools have the ability to spend the most on their students. That means more grants and more interesting applications. Recruiting is similar, the schools with the strongest alumni networks (most loyal) and long-term legacies with top recruiters at the undergrad level win here as well, not MBA ranks. This is why when it comes to grad placement schools with the greatest undergrad resources win at every available grad placement statistic. This is why the schools with the strongest legacies with recruiters (Penn, Dartmouth, Columbia, HYP, Williams) do the best at getting great jobs.</p>