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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My child is a junior and I'm wondering how much your undergrad school matters if you are planning to go on to get a Ph.D.  - If so, what  specifically does matter in college selection? [/quote]

GPA extremely important. Plus prior research experience.

So, a top (4.0) student from U of Oregon will do better than a 3.8 kid from Harvard. Top SLACs will have faculty more involved with their students, more research opportunities, mentoring etc. All of which helps too.[/quote]

No, no, no. For PhD programs, your grades in your specific field matter the most. If you're getting a PhD in Classics, your B in statistics will affect your GPA, but not your chances of getting into a top Classics program. Likewise, if you're getting a PhD in Organic Chemistry, your B in 20th Century American Lit will not matter for PhD admissions in Organic Chem.
-Tenured professor at R1[/quote]

But if you are pursuing a PhD in psychology, a B in statistics will affect one's chances as research in many disciplines involves probability and statistics.

Some universities have programs designed to assist those who intend on pursuing a PhD:

For example at Northwestern University: Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences

https://mmss.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/program-overview

An easier option exists at the University of Michigan: https://lsa.umich.edu/qmss (quantitative methods in the social sciences)

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