Sheetalb, my advice is not to underestimate yourself. It is not important which unknown university you went to but rather what YOU DID in that unknown university and how well you present it to the admission committee. ...Hunk_in_grave, I admire your passion for Ph.D's but not everyone has that passion and the trend of thoughts and the same zeal...at least not me...not yet. In my case, the stipend offered for the Ph.D was higher than the salary I was offered in a job, and hence, my incentive to shoot some rounds in the dark, unexplored territory! How I awfully regret sometimes. As the saying goes "careful what you wish for. It might just come true " :)