<p>Keilex, I think you are misinterpreting the OP’s intent. He wasn’t saying that he believed he could ride upon the prestige of UWEC’s name; he was saying simply that Eau Claire is a college that admissions committees (particularly ones in the Midwest) would know of and might be familiar with some of the faculty there and the programs offered. Being well-ranked as a master’s university doesn’t mean “very little” in this case; what it means will vary across committees and faculty. As Professor X said, it will matter a lot based upon whether they’ve received students from UWEC before and how they have performed. A top program that has admitted two well-prepared students from UWEC in the past that graduated in a timely matter may look closely at the application of a new UWEC candidate.</p>
<p>“Hearing of” schools occurs in a different context for graduate professors that serve on ACs than they work for the general public. You may have only heard of UWEC in that context, but you’re also in high school if I remember correctly. A graduate professor who does admissions for their department likely has a different perspective and a different level of experience with the university.</p>