How do I get over the idea that only top graduate schools are worth attending? I'm an undergraduate in a STEM major at a respectable university. I’d like to pursue graduate school, but it’s not likely that I will be accepted to a top school. - Quora

Answer (1 of 17): I actually have a similar view as you do. For me, when I was applying to graduate school, I only applied to 5 schools: MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Michigan, and UT Austin. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get into my top picks and had to go to one of my backup schools. The thinking w...