Does undergraduate prestige matter

sgopal2
Sat, 12 Feb 2022 23:46:19 +0000

The days of grade deflation at UChicago are long gone. My wife attended there in the 1990s, and we know several people who are current students. I would not let that deter you. While the STEM programs at Chicago are still very difficult, there are some majors which are much more grade friendly.

If you think its possible to graduate from UChicago with a high GPA, and you can get a high LSAT, and you want to go to an elite law school, then you’re better off at Chicago. Graduating with top stats from Chicago will be better than top stats at state school. Unlike many other professions, lawyers focus heavily on prestige of the law school. Getting a top job at Big Law will mean you need to either be law review, or graduate from a top 10 law school.

But if you don’t think you can get a good GPA at Chicago, then all things being equal, I would take the money and crush it at state school.

Chicago would be better if you have any interest towards a career in high finance (IB, consulting, etc).