By Janice Newton
I want to get into grad school. Should I do my undergrad degree at a prestigious school, where I fear I might not get the best GPA, or at a less prestigious school where I feel I might get higher grades?
Applications to grad school depend on grades and letters of reference. If you choose a large, prestigious school where you have little contact with professors, you may not get good reference letters. Find out about class sizes. Also, whether the “big names” in the department are actually teaching undergraduate courses. It may be wise to choose a smaller school where you know you will have lots of contact with professors. Who, in turn, can write good reference letters. Of course, in the end, you also have to excel in your program...