<p>So Im going to be starting college as an undergrad at a pretty decent school for landscape arch. My eventual aim is to attend a top grad school, so I have a couple questions.</p>
<p>Do grad schools look at the prestige of you undergrad school?
and
should I be trying super hard to keep my GPA high (3.5+) and be getting lots of internships?</p>
<p>Also should I work a couple years after graduating before attending?</p>
<p>not prestige necessarily, but moreso academic rigor.
Dont expect that getting good grades at a crappy McCrap Crap state school is going to get you as far as good grades in a good school. If you go to a bad school, you will probably have to be one of the best at your school. For example, a student with a 3.5 at University of Chicago will likely be regarded as much greater than a student who gets a 4.0 at san francisco state (an example of a not so good state school. The only way the University of Chicago student would be less regarded would be if the admissions officer was retarted.</p>
<ol>
<li>the prestige of you undergrad school</li>
</ol>
<p>No. Unless that “prestige” is DIRECTLY related to the academic quality of the specific program you are in.</p>
<ol>
<li>trying super hard to keep my GPA high</li>
</ol>
<p>Yes and no. Except for insanely competitive programs like Clinical Psych, anything over 3.3 is probably going to be fine.</p>
<ol>
<li>internships</li>
</ol>
<p>Wait and see. Quality is always better than quantity.</p>
<ol>
<li>work a couple years</li>
</ol>
<p>depends on you. When you reach winter break your junior year you’ll have a better idea of where you’re going.</p>
<p>Finally, be aware that grad school admissions, in general, are much less numbers oriented than undergrad. Your LORs, SOP and research/internships will be more important than GPA and test scores (assuming these last two are “reasonable”).</p>
<p>lor? sop? </p>
<p>My program is ranked 13th overall in the nation, I going to try and keep my gpa over 3.5 and will definitely do many internships. Thanks for the help, maybe ill be back here in 3 years</p>
<p>lor-letter of recommendation
sop-statement of purpose</p>
<p>Do they really care about your research that much? Nobody really expects undergrads to accomplish anything in undergrad research other than becoming acquainted w/ working in a lab.</p>
<p>In my opinion you have to show the desire to earn a Ph.D. w/ your Statement of Purpose and of course your recommenders have to say nice things about you and your potential.</p>
<p>Do they really care about your research that much? Not in landscape architecture!!! Whole different world. What they’ll care about is your portfolio. Even some very bad GPAs can get overlooked if they are accompanied by a stunning portfolio. Make sure to do well in classes within your major, but don’t be afraid to take a controversial position in your design because you fear the grade will keep you from grad school. If the project is that great to warrant such a thing, then your portfolio will get you through.</p>
<p>Focus on the now. Learn, draw, design. Build relationships with your professors so that you can ask for recommendations later, but beyond that don’t worry about it so much. Design is a different world than what the majority of the people in the grad school section went through.</p>
<p>Like others have posted, ‘prestige’ is really only taken into account in a roundabout way. Oftentimes if you go to a prestigious university, the faculty whom you’ll be getting letters from will know the faculty at the university you’re applying to. This can help tremendously. It really hurts if no one has ever heard of your college, which happens sometimes if it’s a really regional university.</p>
<p>
In the sciences, yes, they care that much. It’s not necessarily that you’re expected to accomplish something spectacular (although god knows it helps), just that you’re expected to care a lot about research and become accustomed to dedicating a big chunk of time to it.</p>
<p>WilliamC, what’s so special about clinical psych?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yeah, lots of programs at elite universities are incredibly competitive and would certainly require a GPA above a 3.3 to get into.</p>