Do grad schools look closely at undergrad schools/programs?

Mom2aphysicsgeek
Fri, 12 Apr 2019 11:05:11 +0000

@hypernova Just as a real life example, as an UG my ds attended a U ranked around 130 with a physics dept ranked in the 80s and is now in grad school for theoretical cosmology at a top 5 program in his field. He had advanced coursework with a 4.0 (GPA will matter), on-campus research, 2 REUs, high PGRE scores, and excellent LOR.

In his dept, most of the other grad students are from top ranked UG programs, but there are a few other students like him. So it is definitely possible. It takes making the most of your UG experience. Study hard and make good grades. Actively seek out on-campus research. (Ds spent 18+ hrs per week on research.) Apply to summer REUs. (This is a good read to understand the process: https://astrobites.org/2013/01/05/so-you-want-to-apply-for-an-reu-heres-how/ )