Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will likely major in social sciences (or maybe humanities) and she certainly doesn't know what she wants to do for grad school.

Bizarre post OP. If your kid has no plans for grad school, how or why would you factor grad school into the undergrad decision?

Because in today's world you kind of have to go to grad school. I'm not saying getting a PhD, but it seems like a master's is still a box that needs to be checked --- or not?

It depends on the program, but grades matter to some extent. The courses/undergraduate major matters. The things that matter most are your letters of recommendation, GRE scores (if required), and your personal statement. Then how you interview will matter.

The actual institution matters less than who is writing your letters. So if you can have strong relationships with faculty who will write you outstanding letters AND who are well-known to the graduate program faculty, that is huge.

I strongly disagree with the above advice.
Go to the best undergraduate program you can get into (assuming you can afford it, of course).
I went to Swarthmore not knowing what I was going to do career-wise. I did get accepted into lower ranked schools, but I attribute my success in academia to my foundational years at Swarthmore and its faculty. I was surrounded by super smart and motivated people who really loved the pursuit of knowledge. Half of my friends from college have PhDs. The rest have law degrees, medical degrees, or MBAs. (One of my friends did not go to graduate school, but she is the exception by far.)
I cannot emphasize enough how powerful your undergraduate peer group is, and while such peer groups like the one I had at Swarthmore exist elsewhere, it would have undoubtedly been much more difficult to find.
I feel extremely lucky. I did not know when I ended up choosing Swarthmore how profoundly its environment would shape me.
That being said, I think that schools like Swarthmore (and Reed and Carleton) are highly unique. I don't think there's going to be much of a difference if you end up choosing between Berkeley and Michigan. But there will be a difference if you're choosing between Julliard and UVA.

Anonymous wrote:Do not go to the best undergrad program you get into. Go one level below. Shine. Get top grades and some research experience. This is better than graduating as a top quartile student from a top undergrad program. Unless you expect to be at the very top (top 1-3) of the high ranked program. Education quality is top notch in most top 100 schools in the US.

Generally (but not always), top programs have significant grade inflation relative to lower ranked programs.

Anonymous wrote:Try to live your life without strategizing every possible future move. Just go to university, find things that interest you, and have fun. Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof…

Thank you! The college and grad school years are an amazing time in your child's life. They are deeply immersed in expanding their knowledge and their mind (and growing in other ways). Help them find joy in the journey. Live in the moment. Don't try to game everything for an uncertain future - because they would have wasted a truly special time thinking like a middle aged middle manager rather than exploring everything they can be.

Try to live your life without strategizing every possible future move. Just go to university, find things that interest you, and have fun. Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do not go to the best undergrad program you get into. Go one level below. Shine. Get top grades and some research experience. This is better than graduating as a top quartile student from a top undergrad program. Unless you expect to be at the very top (top 1-3) of the high ranked program. Education quality is top notch in most top 100 schools in the US.

It’s not possible to determine who the “top 1-3” graduates are in biology at the U. of Big 10 school. Or econ. Or just about every major. I’m

If you believe you will be at the very top of a large cohort of very smart kids at a top 10 program (hard to forecast, but the geniuses tend to have a sense of who they are), go to top programs. Everyone else will see a bump in their grad school prospects by going one level below.

Anonymous wrote:Do not go to the best undergrad program you get into. Go one level below. Shine. Get top grades and some research experience. This is better than graduating as a top quartile student from a top undergrad program. Unless you expect to be at the very top (top 1-3) of the high ranked program. Education quality is top notch in most top 100 schools in the US.

It’s not possible to determine who the “top 1-3” graduates are in biology at the U. of Big 10 school. Or econ. Or just about every major. I’m

Anonymous wrote:Do not go to the best undergrad program you get into. Go one level below. Shine. Get top grades and some research experience. This is better than graduating as a top quartile student from a top undergrad program. Unless you expect to be at the very top (top 1-3) of the high ranked program. Education quality is top notch in most top 100 schools in the US.

This is an interesting take on this issue. So many people assume you almost HAVE to attend the highest-rated school you get into, but that almost ensures that you won’t be one of the top students at your school.

The “go one level below” approach might not work for everyone or every major, but it certainly seems like a smart move for some people & some majors.

For example, it would seem like a good strategy if the student is prone to feeling overwhelmed, wants to double major, has a medical issue that might involve missing some class sessions, etc. Or if the kid’s major or future plans make the institution’s prestige is fairly irrelevant (nursing, accounting, pre-med, pre-law, etc.).

This approach also dovetails with the recent blasphemous inclination of some kids choosing non-elite out-of-state public schools that are fun & affordable due to merit aid.

Admission to grad school in the humanities or social sciences is easy because tuition is high.

Anonymous wrote:Go to a school that’s grading scale tops out at A+ instead of A. I’m not kidding

But then don’t you have to disclose that? Meaning, I have a 4.0/4.3 instead of a 4.0/4.0? Or are the pluses not weighted? Not sure how it works since neither of my kids go to a school with A plus.

Go to a school that’s grading scale tops out at A+ instead of A. I’m not kidding

Do not go to the best undergrad program you get into. Go one level below. Shine. Get top grades and some research experience. This is better than graduating as a top quartile student from a top undergrad program. Unless you expect to be at the very top (top 1-3) of the high ranked program. Education quality is top notch in most top 100 schools in the US.

Anonymous wrote:My kid will likely major in social sciences (or maybe humanities) and she certainly doesn't know what she wants to do for grad school.

Bizarre post OP. If your kid has no plans for grad school, how or why would you factor grad school into the undergrad decision?

Cost is obviously one factor. What else?

Asking b/c it seems like one factor to consider when selecting undergrad if you are pre-med is "where you can get all As."

This wasn't even on my radar 30 years ago when I was looking at colleges as an undergrad. In the end, I wound up working for 8 years and went to a grad school where my grades and undergrad institution didn't matter anymore. I'm a generalist.

My kid will likely major in social sciences (or maybe humanities) and she certainly doesn't know what she wants to do for grad school.