How much does your undergraduate college matter to grad schools?

Question

I currently go to a very good liberal arts college and am studying to get my BA with a double major in mathematics and molecular biology. I am thinking of transferring to one of the top math/science schools in the nation. However, I would end up taking nearly identical courses, since I would be taking lots of courses on the math/science school anyway. The two schools are Scripps College and Harvey Mudd College. Will the BA/BS and which college matter to graduate schools?

Answer 1

Essentially the difference between undergrad and graduate study is that grad study focuses more on the researching end of things. Yes, coursework is often duped, but you tend to do more writing in graduate school and look at things from a "higher" level.

Now as to getting into grad school, your undergrad major(s) do matter. If you don't have an undergraduate degree in that particular subject, you might not get accepted or may have to makeup some undergraduate courses to form that foundation.

And of course, grades matter! If you didn't do all that well in your undergrad study, then you might not do all that well in graduate school. And lastly, where you got your degree also matters because grad schools want to be sure you went to a reputable college for your undergraduate study and learned what really matters to that particular school.

Answer 2

More important than what college you attended is your personal achievements--have you headed up research projects? Gotten anything published? Grad schools look less at the prestige of the school (it counts, but not as much as you think) and more at what you've accomplished and what your goals are.