How importance is the Undergraduate college's reputation/ranking?

[mcalderon94]

Hi,

well, I create a topic a week ago asking about some universities I was accepted at and which of those was better to choose.

Since then I have been reading various topics in this forum and I have started to think about the importance of my undergraduate education.

First of all, I am international student. I live in Peru and one of the main reasons I applied to universities in US was that there I would have greater opportunities to work on what I love (gaming industry and A.I.).

I was accepted at the University of Kansas, Richmond and Oberlin, and still deciding which to attend.

Kansas is ranked 79 for tis Computer Sceince program while neither of Richmond or Oberlin are ranked. I believe this is because those two are liberal arts colleges.

Kansas is a much bigger university but for some reason I think Richmond or Oberlin will give me grater opportunities. The classes are smaller and I will not be just a number there,. Also the contact with professors is better. I am a dedicate student and I will put all of my effort wherever I go, but I think in Richmond or Oberlin I will have greater chances to outstand as there is not too much competition.

I have this in mind because I would love to apply to a top 10 school for doing my M.S. in the future. And this brings a new question: will the schools I apply in a few years for my MS give great importance to where I attended for my undergraduate education? And having that in mind, will it be better to attend KU or one of the other two liberal arts schools?

Thank you for your time =)

Edited April 20, 2012 by mcalderon94

[dntw8up]

thegradcafe is a forum for graduate school concerns. Since you are choosing an undergraduate school to attend you might get more assistance with your queries at collegeconfidential.com -- Good Luck!

[Zoop]

thegradcafe is a forum for graduate school concerns. Since you are choosing an undergraduate school to attend you might get more assistance with your queries at collegeconfidential.com -- Good Luck!

How is a question regarding graduate school admissions not a graduate school concern?

[wine in coffee cups]

What's the financial aid situation? If the cost to you is similar at all three, definitely Oberlin! This is a weird set of schools to be choosing from but Oberlin is clearly the strongest academically. Top liberal arts colleges like Oberlin have excellent graduate school placement records, so if that's what you're after, it's your best choice. Even if you didn't go to grad school right away, it would also have the strongest job placement -- I will say anecdotally that my firm recruits from Oberlin and similar schools, but an applicant from KU or Richmond wouldn't have a chance absent being like, the child of our biggest client, those just don't have the national recognition. At Oberlin, you will have small classes, professors who love teaching and doing research with undergrads (for example, this guy), and intelligent and driven peers who challenge you. Strongly recommend.

[dntw8up]

How is a question regarding graduate school admissions not a graduate school concern?

I didn't say the post was on the wrong forum, but rather suggested an alternative site that might better meet the OP's information needs.

[mcalderon94]

What's the financial aid situation? If the cost to you is similar at all three, definitely Oberlin! This is a weird set of schools to be choosing from but Oberlin is clearly the strongest academically. Top liberal arts colleges like Oberlin have excellent graduate school placement records, so if that's what you're after, it's your best choice. Even if you didn't go to grad school right away, it would also have the strongest job placement -- I will say anecdotally that my firm recruits from Oberlin and similar schools, but an applicant from KU or Richmond wouldn't have a chance absent being like, the child of our biggest client, those just don't have the national recognition. At Oberlin, you will have small classes, professors who love teaching and doing research with undergrads (for example, this guy), and intelligent and driven peers who challenge you. Strongly recommend.

Thank you for your comment

Because of my economical situation the finantial aid packages I get are very important factors to consider. I live in Peru, and fees as high as 40K or 50K are simply impossible for my family. Ku has given me a great offer: I will only have to pay 12K a year. It is still expensive but my family can manage it, and in fact it was the type of finantial aid I was hoping to obtain =). I recieved Oberlin's finantial aid package a few days ago and unfortunately it is not nearly as good as KU's, and I believe my family wouldn't be able to afford it. My last option then is Richmond whose finantial offer I am still waiting.

And yes, I know this is a weird set of colleges to choose. I applie to others but I believe these are the best ones. Because I applied through the Fulbright Asociation in Lima, they gave me a list of which colleges offered finantial aid for international students I had to choose between them.Also, for some reason I don't know, I get to know school decision and offers one or two weeks after everybody can because I have to wait for Fulbright to tell me.

So I believe I will be choosing between KU and Richmond (as Oberlin seems a very difficult option for my finantial aid situation). I just hope Richmond gives me a good offer. What do you think of those two?

[cartel]

I know this is a late response and so you have likely made a decision, but hopefully you chose Oberlin or Richmond over KU. For graduate programs, overall undergraduate school reputation is much more important than specific CS ranking -- unless it's a top CS school (and KU does not have a top CS program). Oberlin and Richmond are very reputable, competitive schools -- Oberlin is ranked in the top 30 liberal arts colleges in the nation and Richmond is ranked in the top 30 universities in the nation. Both are very selective. KU, on the other hand, isn't even ranked in the top 100 universities...trust me when I tell you that you would have a much harder time getting into a good CS grad program as a KU graduate compared to Oberlin or Richmond. Highly ranked undergraduate schools open doors for you regardless of your area of interest. If you excel at Richmond or Oberlin, it would be easy to get into a top CS program for your MS. It would not be as easy from KU.

[Spore]

It is a fact that Oberlin College graduates the most graduates who obtain PhDs than any other school of its size.

Oberlin Alum, 1998. PhD 2008 Molecular Genetics and Microbiology.

[cartel]

It is a fact that Oberlin College graduates the most graduates who obtain PhDs than any other school of its size.

Oberlin Alum, 1998. PhD 2008 Molecular Genetics and Microbiology.

I'm not surprised at all.