Do Top Grad Schools Admit Applicants from Less Selective Colleges?

Marian
Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:12:41 +0000

My son, who graduated from Ordinary State U, is now in a Ph.D. program at a university that ranks in the top 15 in the country in his specialty.

My husband, who graduated from Even Less Prestigious State U (but with better grades and GREs), made it into a top 10 Ph.D. program in his field many years ago.

It’s not what college you go to, it’s what you do while you’re there. Your grades and GRE scores are important, but so is undergraduate research experience. I would suggest transferring only if your current undergraduate institution does not offer undergraduate research opportunities.

If you think that a career in academia might be for you, go into a Ph.D. (or combined Masters/Ph.D.) program right away, not just a Masters program. And try to get as high on the food chain as possible (i.e., as highly ranked a graduate school as you can get admitted to). If you become a faculty member, you will never work at a university that’s as prestigious or more prestigious than the one where you got your Ph.D. So the higher you start, the greater your job opportunities later. If you choose to use your Ph.D. in a career other than academia, this doesn’t matter so much. But very few entering graduate students know whether they’re going into academia or other types of work five or so years later.