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CE2RED
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Question about pedigree 29 Jun 2008, 13:46
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Hello,

I have a question about acceptance. I have a undergrad degree in civil engineering, but I decided that I wanted to get my Ph.D. in business. I decided to go back and get my masters in economics before I entered a doctoral program. Both of my degrees come from very large state schools with very good programs. My question is can and do people with degrees from large state schools crack admission to top schools. While researching different schools and looking at the profiles of admitted students, I rarely see students coming from large public universities. I have high gpa's, a high GMAT score, and very good recs but I don't want to apply to programs I have no chance getting into.

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Zaneta
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tkkoh
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Question about pedigree 30 Jun 2008, 05:29
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If you have good recommendations and track records, I think you have a chance. Where you did your undergrad is important to certain extent, so if it is a credible university, I think you should give it a shot. It is better to try and get rejected, than to think that they would reject you and not try.

People from top schools get into top programs, not just because they were from top schools, but because they did well in those top schools. i.e. they are the top of the top (or rather best of the best).
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cabro57
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Question about pedigree 08 Jul 2008, 06:38
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I agree with tkkoh. I have a BBA and MBA from a second tier Canadian research university and 3 years ago received offers from 2 very good schools; those would definitely be considered "top schools" if that term is defined as the top 15-20 schools in my discipline (accounting).

In my entering class, there were people from places like U. of Oklahoma, U. of Cincinnati, and so on. You have to keep in mind that people screening applicants get tons of qualified applications from international students whose schools they've never heard of, so they can't make offers primarily based on _where_ applicants did their coursework. In my mind (and theirs hopefully), _what_ they did is much more important, and if you've done well in civil engineering and economics, having gotten those degrees from a state school definitely won't be a big weakness.
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jasonc
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Question about pedigree 09 Jul 2008, 01:42
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cabro57
I agree with tkkoh. I have a BBA and MBA from a second tier Canadian research university and 3 years ago received offers from 2 very good schools; those would definitely be considered "top schools" if that term is defined as the top 15-20 schools in my discipline (accounting).

In my entering class, there were people from places like U. of Oklahoma, U. of Cincinnati, and so on. You have to keep in mind that people screening applicants get tons of qualified applications from international students whose schools they've never heard of, so they can't make offers primarily based on _where_ applicants did their coursework. In my mind (and theirs hopefully), _what_ they did is much more important, and if you've done well in civil engineering and economics, having gotten those degrees from a state school definitely won't be a big weakness.
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University of Oklahoma definitely contains some extremely bright people :)
I went to HS in Oklahoma and many of the smartest people from my class attended OU.
If you plan on doing a grad degree anyways - and know to take advantage of opportunities at OU - its hard to turn down a free ride from OU + extra cash (they let you keep your other scholarships, usually amounting to ~$5,000 a year => $20,000 in your pocket right out of school).
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CE2RED
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Question about pedigree 30 Jul 2008, 05:03
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Thanks for the help guys!

Zaneta
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