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[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]

Here are the top 3 things:

- pedigree: is the school one that's known to the average faculty at a PhD granting institution. This typically means a top-50 to top-100 schools in the field (an Ivy, well-known privates, all state flagships/landgrants, a few select SLAC).

- strength of undergrad major: is the program one that's comparable to the undergrad program (or better) than what they have at their institution. Has the applicants at GPA that's within the top cohort of their institution.

- faculty: did the applicant work with faculty (and get strong recommendations from then) during the undergrad years. Typically, you can gauge the chance of that happening by looking at the pedigree of the teaching faculty itself: did they get their PhD from a top-50 school in their field?

Keep in mind that unlike undergrad admissions, grad school admissions are done by faculty, not university administrators.
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