Where do Berkeley undergrads go for grad school

Pentaprism
Wed, 27 Apr 2016 21:16:33 +0000

On grad school application - Below is an excerpt from an email message from a friend of mine, a professor at CoE. I had asked him whether it was wise to apply to a PhD program at the same undergrad school. Note the last sentence: “there is a big random element in getting admitted anywhere.”

There may be a slight negative in applying to a graduate school where the undergraduate degree was obtained, but it is only very slight and depends strongly on who is reviewing the application. It is certainly a common thought that it is better for the student to switch to a new scene to broaden his/her experience. But in serving on these graduate admission committees in our department for many years, I can’t recall a case where it even came up or played a role in the decision.

My advice would be to not let this be a factor in future planning. There are so many other factors of more significance. In the end, there is a big random element in getting admitted anywhere.