Switching PhD institutes in the US

I am an international student who has been admitted at a low ranked institute in the US. I also have an offer from an institute in my own country to do a Masters'. I ultimately want to get admitted at a prestigious program in the US.

I was recently advised to join the low ranked US institute, do my course work well, establish contacts with professors at more prestigious schools, and then switch to a better school for a PhD. It sounds immoral to me. But I was told it is not immoral in practice as the institute receives thousands of offers to fill up the seat you will be vacating. I have two questions:

1. Is doing the above seriously unethical?


2. Will one really be able to make the desired switch, assuming average intelligence and other abilities?


3. Is attending that American college really a better choice than going to the college in my country? The reasons being put forward are that I can directly meet the professors concerned, which somehow helps. Moreover American institutes are more likely to accept candidates from American colleges than international schools. Are these reasons sound? Thanks.