<p>I think undergrad matters somewhat, esp. if you’re already at a top program for undergrad in the field you want to pursue (and this really only applies to PhD programs, and to MDs to a lesser degree). If you have good recommendations from top professors in your field for your grad school apps, that’s a definite bump compared to recs from professors no one’s ever heard of. </p>
<p>Also, the available resources at school vary extremely widely. I’m a student at an Ivy, and the resources I have here on campus in terms of archives, etc. (not to mention in terms of travel grants, etc.) are enormous compared to what my friends studying similar things at my home state’s flagship have. It’s simply been much easier for me to do “interesting” or “important” research here. </p>
<p>So actually, while the “name” of your undergrad school may not make a huge difference, the professors and resources at more prestigious schools can actually provide a pretty big advantage.</p>