Do Top Grad Schools Admit Applicants from Less Selective Colleges?

starbright
Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:38:59 +0000

Beyond that, I’ve been told by so many professors and current grad students (at places around the country) that I’ve come to think this is the real key: make sure your application gets read. Apparently some departments throw away or only hastily glance at applications that come from less selective schools. You need to do everything you can to ensure that someone on the faculty committee is willing to take a look and see what you have to offer. I have no idea if this is true or not and would be interested in what other people think.



I can’t speak for the field you are in. In the world I’m familiar with, its not an issue. We simply don’t get THAT many applicants. We also get applicants from around the world (and consider them similarily); yet we don’t necessarily know the ‘top’ schools at the countries they are from. Moreover, half the time we don’t even know some of the ‘best schools’ in the states (e.g. a top nothc LAC that doesn’t have a business program, none of us faculty may be familiar with it).

Show me someone with standardized tests scores in the 90th percentile range, with research experience and great letters of ref, and I’ll show you someone whose file gets read.

In your ideal world, you know a professor in your undergraduate studies well enough in the field you are applying who can and will write an email or call someone in the dept you are applying to ensure you are on the radar screen. Fields are small enough to make this possible. Another good reason to get a UG where you can work close with some faculty in research if you are interested in eventually getting your PhD.