I graduated with an M.arch from a school no one ever heard of "New School of Architecture in San Diego"

I have had to work twice as hard as the Ivies and Berko grads - you just have to be willing to go the extra mile, and then another 10 miles to prove yourself - and if your P.A. is from Berkeley or Harvard, it won't make a damn bit of difference - unless you are willing to work real hard to go beyond 

and even then that won't be good enough - My advice is to get into a name school - it really does matter - don't let anyone kid you

It does matter, unfortunately, the same as our society values one person’s wallet over another person’s intellect…doesn’t have to be Ivy League as there are many marketable universities.

My personal experience has been different. I went to a lesser known school and then worked at a well respected firm at one of their less desirable locations. After 7 years, nobody really looks at my education anymore except to see if I have one...

What I've noticed about Ivy degrees is that they prepare students to be leaders in their field. Being a leader is different from being a talented architect or designer. It's having the connections and knowledge to run an office and get good contracts that make you wealthy.

So do you think that there is little to no chance of getting a "good" job at a well known firm if you went to a smaller school that may not have been heard of before? I went to the Univ. of Memphis which is known mostly for just sports. I just want to go where I can learn yes, but also get exposure to other professionals but still not be in debt out of my mind when I get done. 

mccarter, rob isn't talking about your job prospects; he's talking about running your own firm and being able to market yourself as smarter than the guy next to you, all while touting the connections you've made in school.

null, ohhh ok. Well ultimately I would like to have my own firm. Or at least be more than just a employee. 

mcarter, that being said, if you go a school that doesn't have name brand recognition, you can still make a good career for yourself.  you will still be employable, you can still make connections and start your own business.  one deficiency of mine from school was a lack of business knowledge.  in your professional practice course ask lots of questions about marketing and contracts.  also if you have elective courses take at least one business course.  you can achieve your goals if you're willing to put in the effort and have a little confidence in yourself.  

You are talking about an occupation where one of its leading lights, Tadao Ando, has no formal education, and another, John Pawson,, only has a few months of formal training, and you seriously want to know if spending $50,000 a year for three years at a prestigious school is worth it to be in debt up to your eyeballs for most of your working career? Why didn't you go to your state's school that has an accredited program in the first place? Not to be critical but the first step is to see where you slipped up in the first place before doing it again.

It sounds like you want to work for a starchitect. The reality is that for that career path, is that your school really matters. For one, the design focus is one that produces work appealing to a specific type of office, but also, the faculty is well connected to the characters in that circle; if they don't teach there themselves. You have to consider the faculty, and the location. I went to FIU for undergrad, if I would have stayed for grad I would not have gotten any of the opportunities I have. Think specifically of what type of work you want to do, what offices aling, and then choose your school accordingly for its connection to chosen offices. Once you're in that school, you'll have to be a star student, and stand out to the professors that could hire you or recomend you to their buddy who is a principal at target office. Note, that even if you do all this, there is a large chance that you don't end up in the office you imagined.