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Will Attending Public University Limit Grad School Opportunities?

Written by Sally Rubenstone | March 27, 2012

Question: My son is a National Merit Finalist and may attend U of Alabama for the scholarship. Money is very tight right now, but I am worried that attending a less-ranked school will hurt his odds of attending a top Ph.D program. Will it?

You son can be a star at Alabama and position himself well for graduate school admission--and paid fellowships--in fact, just as well as if he were at Harvard or Princeton. Grad school admission committees appreciate diversity, as undergrad committees do, and this "diversity" includes seeking students who hail from a range of alma maters.

Moreover, because you won't be as financially strapped during your son's undergrad years if he heads to Tuscaloosa, this may give him the flexibility to pursue unpaid and low-paying internships or research positions during the summer, which will help him hone in on areas of academic interest while looking great on his grad school applications, and he won't be hamstrung by the need to make a lot of money during the summer months.

Keep in mind, however, that although your son will have all or many of the same opportunities in life, whether he attends Alabama or a more prestigious school, he may always look back on his choice and worry that he didn't make the right one, perhaps even blaming you for the decision. I know several people who are extremely successful in a range of orbits and yet some of them, who attended less-celebrated colleges, still seem to wonder (at least occasionally … it’s more of a sporadic concern than a nagging obsession) what might have been, had they gone to a snazzier school. I, however, marvel at their accomplishments and try to reassure them that they've lived impressive and meaningful lives. But steel yourself for the possibility that your son may always harbor at least a few fleeting regrets about his road not taken. Even so, it sounds like he should ride the Crimson Tide.

Good luck with the National Merit outcome and with the tough decisions it may spawn!

(posted 3/27/2012)

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.