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[revlp]

I have read through most of this forum, and though I've gathered some valuable advice, I don't think I have seen this particular question: 
I am planning to apply to Ph.D. programs in political science, and I have high hopes for myself with regard to graduate school.  I have no reason to believe that my raw numerical scores (GPA and GRE) or writing samples will hurt my chances, but I would like to know if the quality of my undergraduate school is going to be a hindrance.  I am still an undergrad, and though I got into Ivy League schools when I was applying for college, I couldn't pay for them.  As a result, I am at a school that is ranked between 100 and 115 by USNews (not that they are the end-all, of course).  If I have the scores, recommendations, and writing samples, will the lack of prestige of my undergraduate school change my prospects of getting into a top 10 program?

[malingered]

If I have the scores, recommendations, and writing samples, will the lack of prestige of my undergraduate school change my prospects of getting into a top 10 program?

Unfortunately, yes.

[acrimone]

If I have the scores, recommendations, and writing samples, will the lack of prestige of my undergraduate school change my prospects of getting into a top 10 program?

What he said.

[case_insensitive]

The solution of course, is to get a PhD in accounting, instead.

[waitingtoseephd]

I have just applied to 10 strong programs in the same field you're going into, and have a similar story - very strong GPA, strong GREs (700+ V & Q, though with 5.0 AWA), great recommendations, and an MA in a related field from a known European department.  My undergrad institution, though, while it is good for its size and scope (top 15 in Western-region masters-level), is not well-known.  

More than one prestigious professor I spoke with at departments I've applied to mentioned that the ad-coms certainly pay attention to whether they know the recommendation writers. This may also be a problem for me, as I don't know whether any of mine are very known scholars, or have relationships with faculty at these programs.  But I'm still hopeful, since I have a strong statement of purpose with defined research interests, etc., and my other ducks in a row.

I'm guessing my application will need to jump through more hoops than someone coming out of an Ivy League or other prestigious program in the field - I just hope it can make it through, at at least one program!  

So, I'll let you know how it pans out in my case - when decisions start coming out, that is...

[seniorscholar]

The quality of the undergrad school matters when we consider what the GPA means and when we look at the names (and sometimes look up the names, to see what they've published) on the letters of reference. This does not necessarily, however, mean "quality" as measured by things like US News rankings, which don't indicate a lot about the undergraduate instruction in particular departments; it means (on graduate admission committees, at least in my department) "have we heard anything about that school? do we know anyone there? have any of our previous grad students come from that school?" 

It also means "has the applicant had enough sense about the profession to have faculty with reputations in the field write letters? Or are the letters of reference from adjuncts and unpublished people promoted to associate professor in the olden days?" (When we are hovering on borderlines, Google and the library databases such as ABELL and the MLA bibliography online make it pretty fast to discover quite a bit about the faculty who have written the letters.)

And finally, we're much more apt to do this kind of looking if there is some disjunction or absurdity in the application packet. I remember one in which the person had a 2.2 GPA in the major, verbal GREs in the 450 range, and stunning praise in the letters of reference. And, conversely, we want to know more about schools when the applicant has a 4.0 GPA in the major and a really dim writing sample. The reputation of the school, then, is one piece of the packet, but only one piece.

[katherineparr]

Waitingtooseephd made a good point, though buried in his other useful comments. If you are concerned about the reputation of your undergrad institution, one way to remedy your file is to obtain an MA from a better school/department.

This may cost you some money (since funding for MA study is poor), but it can provide you with A) a degree from a school which has a better reputation or B) a letter from a recognized scholar in your field, or both. And it might produce a useful writing sample to prove your quality as a student.

I attended a mid-tier undergraduate insitution, but the department was great. My letters came from people who knew me well and who knew my field. One has become a very widely known scholar since then, and another has cemented hus place at a major research center. I think this helped me get into a top 10 program, because the school alone would not have done it. I also benefited from a faculty member who carefully supervised my personal statement and ensured that it was correct.