Where you can get in may depend a lot on what subject you're pursuing, you're success in that particular field. I think when you're applying for an undergraduate program they look across the board ... i.e., even if you want to be an English major, the fact that you were meddling in math and science will still hurt you. I think when you go for a PhD they look more specifically at your talent in that area. I could be wrong.

Even if it sounds cool to say "I went to Harvard," keep in mind that a lesser-known university may actually better serve your needs if you're pursuing a certain specialty.

I don't really know what I'm talking about, as I went straight into the workforce after undergrad ... probably a mistake, if for no other reason than I simply wasn't ready to handle the "real world."

FWIW, I went to Bucknell, a very good university that folks often joke is for "Ivy League rejects." I never wanted to go to Ivy League and never tried, but I got right into Bucknell's undergraduate program with 1460 SATs. My high school grads were good but unspectacular. I did much better, grade-wise, once I got to college. I wish I'd gone right ahead and taken the GREs, and churned ahead to grad school right after graduation. It woul dbe very hard to go back now.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
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