[downerending]

Regardless, you should think hard before accepting at the "top" university that will take you. Many times it's better to be a big fish in a small pond than vice versa.

Also, in terms of learning, it's really about the access you can get to the ten or so percent of the faculty that actually worth anything. Figure out who they are and go after them.

Also, network, network, network. Smart or not, everyone you meet in school might give you a reference/job/funding someday.

(source: hard experience)

[jmchuster]

I could consider the primary advantage of a "top" university to be its network and the access it gives you to jobs. Namely, companies that do new grad hiring have a specific list of colleges that they target and will source and review resumes from. Not to say that people from other colleges can't get in, but that you'd have to apply directly and have something standout to get the recruiter to even consider you.

[blendo]

> Many times it's better to be a big fish in a small pond than vice versa.

Yes, this is seldom considered. For example, if you plan to graduate with a BS in physics, would you rather be in the top quartile at Cal Poly, or the bottom quartile at Cal Tech?

[ramblerman]

This advice applies to jobs, I'm not sure it does to universities, which are more about prestige.

I.e. getting a ticket to pick any pond you want after graduation.

[ordx]

Care to elaborate? Did you have any problems after graduating from the "top" university?

[downerending]

More "during" than "after". Not sure if mine counts as "top", but most would say it's easily in the top 25 for my discipline. It was plenty hard for me, though, and in hindsight, I think it would have been better to be the brilliant kid in a lower-ranked school than an also-ran in a higher-ranked school (relative to the range of schools that would admit me).

That's just a guess, but I've seen a lot of others suffer from shooting too high.