This is ultimately why I decided not to pursue a PhD in astronomy, as the undergraduate of a lowly state school. You look around at faculty of any institution a

This is ultimately why I decided not to pursue a PhD in astronomy, as the undergraduate of a lowly state school. You look around at faculty of any institution and they all were grads of Ivies, MIT, etc. By not getting into one of those schools for undergrad you're in for an uphill if not largely impossible battle to get any sort of career traction in academia.