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Should you choose your college/major with grad school in mind?

By Tara Kuther, Ph.D., About.com

Question: Should you choose your college/major with grad school in mind?
Answer: Generally speaking, freshmen year of college is early to begin choosing graduate schools. Research interests develop and change; applicants should select a graduate school based on specialization and specific research area in which they are intersted. PhD students, in particular, should select a graduate program with specific professors in mind whose research interests are compatible with their own -- and then target their applications towards those professors. It is highly uunlikely that a high school senior will know enough about the field and have read enough to be able to choose potential gradute programs.

That said, generally it is important to attend as "good" a college as one can, but the name brand/pedigree isn't everything. Instead, what you do during those four years count a lot: focus on excelling in courses, getting research experience (and applied experience, depending on your field), and developing collaborative relationships with your professors.

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