i don't know...i think it depends on the reputation of the state school as well as how high in the top 30 we're talking. my undergrad gpa sucked, but luckily the rest of my application was decent. i really think that had my entire app stayed the same except for my undergrad institution's name, i wouldn't have been as successful. not saying this is true for everyone, but definitely in my case. in general, i'd go with the high gpa, but i think for example that a 3.5 or 3.6 at a big name school might be equated with a 3.7 or 3.8 at a huge state school. i guess i'm saying school reputation can count, but only to a certain extent.