Does your Undergraduate Institution Matter?

I have received a number of questions about whether one's undergraduate institution matters.

Yes, it certainly does matter but often not in the way that applicants think.

First, capable students tend to go to the high prestige colleges. If you are looking for students who are low academic risks, it makes sense to look at the high prestige colleges.

Second, high prestige colleges often have a higher performing reference group. Knowing that someone is in the top 10% of her class at Caltech gives the admissions officer a pretty good idea of how this student performs against the best students in the country. Knowing that someone performed in the top 10% in a provisonally accredited school does not provide as much insight into how that student performs against the best.

However, you certainly do not need to attend one of the Tycoon U, Ivy, Public Elite, or Little Ivy schools for your degree to be respected in the admissions process. There are many ultra elite MBA alumni who attended quality schools outside of the Tycoon U, Ivy, Public Elite, or Little Ivy groups, not to mention the many outstanding schools outside of the US.

Here are the education bios for some SP500 chief execs who did not attend schools in the Tycoon U, Ivy, Public Elite, or Little Ivy groups

Franklin and Marshall then HBS
Drake then Chicago
Alabama then Penn
Arkansas then HBS
DePauw then HBS
Manhattan then Columbia
Loyola then Chicago
Utah then HBS
Hamilton College then HBS
Kettering then Columbia
Tufts then HBS
Auburn then HBS
Boston College then Penn
Wheaton College then Chicago
Kenyon then Penn
Oregon then Stanford
Weber State then HBS
Middlebury then HBS
Knox then Chicago
Miami then Penn