Forgive me, but do you actually know this is true? I've heard some accounts that schools don't include in the evaluation relative ease or difficulty of classes based off of where you took different courses.
Now, my speculating is just as likely to be faulty as yours is, but I'm willing to bet that getting an A in orgo at a 2 year school is better than getting a C at a 4 year prestigious school. Perhaps someone will look at the fact that the course was taken at a better school, but that's hard to quantify. The A and over all GPA (or sci GPA or prereq GPA) is much easier to quantify.
But since neither of us is on an admissions committee, we'll never know the actual answer.
Absolutely an A at a less prestigious school is better than a C at a more prestigious one, however schools do consider the courseload of the applicant, which is related not only to the courses s/he has taken, but also to the school. I have spoken to a few people who sit on the boards of admissions committees (mostly those at medical schools, but one or two have been at vet schools) and they say that the school you go to does matter, though (obviously) not as much as how well you do.
The bottom line, from what I understand, is choose a respectable institution where you can thrive.
From Cornell's site: A bonus of up to 5 percent may be awarded by the Admissions Committee for quality of academic program. Factors considered in giving this bonus are: enrolling in a challenging curriculum, carrying a full course load to completion, and exceeding minimum preveterinary course requirements.
From CSU:
Does it matter where I obtain my undergraduate degree?
Essentially, no, but it will be necessary for you to take the required prerequisite courses, and you will need to provide evidence that you can handle a rigorous upper division science curriculum. It would be to your advantage to select an institution that offers the required courses plus additional upper division science courses as part of an undergraduate degree program. In the end, choosing a college or university is a very personal and important decision, and you should weigh a variety of factors including, location, cost, available areas of study, quality of educational experience, recreational activities, weather, extracurricular experiences, and scholarships, to name a few.
From Illinois:
Are graduates of the University of Illinois favored for admission?
We encourage students to attend college at a fully accredited institution that provides a challenging curriculum in a setting where they are comfortable enough to become highly successful. Those who attend the University of Illinois are given no preferential treatment in the application process.
(Who can be stressed when the banana man is dancing? Not me!)
