<p>So I was at a friends college graduation party last night when my friends parents, aunts, uncles, etc. started asking me questions... </p>
<p>Them: So did you graduate?.
Me: Yes. In December.
Them: Congrats! Where?
Me: UCSD
Them: (Looks of disappointment) Did you know any of the people that got arrested in the drug bust?
Me: Huh? I believe you're thinking of SDSU.
Them: Isn't UCSD the party school?
Me: (Laughs) Quite the opposite.</p>
<p><strong><em>Now these people are all from Southern California!!!</em></strong>*</p>
<p>A few seconds later my friend tells them that I'm going to Cambridge for grad school. Nobody had heard of it. I said "Oxford" and then a few people started catching on, but for these people USC and UCLA were the greatest universities in the world and they didn't have a clue what was outside of their bubble. </p>
<p>Yup. I'm in southern California--a rural part of it, at that--and someone even thought that Berkeley was a CSU. Someone else (who is actually in the top of her class) thought that UCLA was by far superior to Berkeley, which, in her view, was just a random state school. As she said, "Ask anyone: they'll tell you that UCLA is better than Berkeley."</p>
<p>It was rather saddening.</p>
<p>A friend's dad, who lives in Illinois (where I used to live), truly thought that UIUC was one of the greatest universities in the world. Don't get me wrong, UIUC is great--but it's no Harvard.</p>
<p>Oh, sure. I've got relatives who are UMD alums. To them, private LACs aren't colleges. They're snob factories for anyone who can't get in to UMD.</p>
<p>When I was telling my friend about Pomona because I wanted to apply there, mind you a friend who lives in Burbank -- it took me four weeks to convince her that I wasn't talking about Cal Poly Pomona.</p>
<p>CWalker, there is a lesson that you should take with you for the rest of your life. It was espoused by a friend years ago and , in my opinion, still holds true:</p>
<p>"No one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the average American."</p>
<p>And taxguy, in a democracy, the average Americans have the majority of the votes - it's "rule by the 50th percentile." Is it any wonder that Americans are perpetually dissatisfied with their elected officials?</p>
<p>You think thats bad. Noone in the world has heard of Bowdoin, in Maine, consistently ranked in the top ten,even the top 5 of all LACs, has had famous writers and a US president attend. I was so proud when I got in and people of course asked me about my apps. When I tell them They say, What? How do you spell it? Is that a girl's school? Yup, they all know the community college near my town, and Harvard. woe is me.</p>
<p>The average American most likely also cannot name the top ten most exclusive resorts in the US. Or the most expensive communitities to live in. I know I couldn't name 5 NASCAR drivers. People are quite parochial. They are experts on anything that affects them personally. Everything else is pretty much trivia. For instance, your average American has no chance of getting into University of Chicago or Bowdoin, so why should they know about them? And if University of Chicago and Bowdoin were intent on taking your average student would you know about them?</p>
<p>
[quote]
If I had a nickel every time I had to explain to someone that "No, The University of Chicago is not a community college in Chicago."
[/quote]
Yeah, also, I love all the people who are going to Penn and think that everyone's gonna bow down to them because they're going to an Ivy League school when almost everyone will think they're talking about Penn State.</p>
<p>
[quote]
underestimating the intelligence of the average American
[/quote]
Just because someone didn't know Bowdoin or Pomona doesn't mean they are any less smart than you, dear.<br>
When you think you're smart, you probably aren't.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The average American most likely also cannot name the top ten most exclusive resorts in the US. Or the most expensive communitities to live in. I know I couldn't name 5 NASCAR drivers. People are quite parochial. They are experts on anything that affects them personally. Everything else is pretty much trivia. For instance, your average American has no chance of getting into University of Chicago or Bowdoin, so why should they know about them?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well put. Why should the names of all the tippiest-of-top universities be relevant to the average American? What makes them "stupid" for not knowing their names? It makes total sense that the average American knows the name of the local community college and Harvard, but not necessarily Bowdoin or other elite LAC's.</p>
<p>I live near harrisburg...a couple hours south of Penn State Main Campus, and people around here still get confused when they are told that Penn State and the University of Penn are different things.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Why should the names of all the tippiest-of-top universities be relevant to the average American? What makes them "stupid" for not knowing their names?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>While I do agree with this, I must also point out that Americans should at least have some vague knowledge about the things that affect them the most. In a similar way that the top five nations' economic forces affect America, America's tippiest-of-top universities affect it quite a bit too--through the research, the people they produce, etc. In that way, it's no wonder that people know HYPSM the most.</p>
<p>We're not asking the Avg American to know how good Uchicago is. We're asking the Avg Southern Californian adult to know where and what UC-SD is. </p>
<p>WHOOOA. I didn't say anyone not knowing Bowdoin is stupid. And BTW, I live in New England, near enough to Maine, believe me. But the real issue for me is that I don't think even new englanders care as much about education as they do about sports, say, and money. (the quality of yr education and the money you make are not necc in concert). Its not a matter of smart, dumb, snobbery, or open mindedness. Its cultural values and priorities. Think how much teachers, even profs. make, compared to stock brokers!!!! But its also about my ego. I admit it. i worked hard and want some kudos, not confused looks by my neighbors. But I also get that I am lucky and happy about it. I really do feel grateful...</p>
<p>I agree with IPBear, it's those who are going to be influential to your future career who matter when it comes to knowing colleges.</p>
<p>I think we should cut people some slack. There are so many good colleges out there that it's difficult to keep track of them all unless you have had experience with all of them. Now, it has been pretty funny when my own high school misspelled "Wellesley", when my friends signing my yearbook asked me how to spell it, and when my friend asked me how to pronounce it, but I don't take it personally. I don't need justification from others to know that I'm going to good school, and neither do all of you. It's much more amusing when I tell somebody that I'm going to Wellesley and they look at me with a glazed over look in their eyes, but come back the next day with something like "I asked so and so about Wellesley College and they say it's a really good school!!"</p>
<p>So don't instantly assume that someone is an idiot for not having heard of your college, don't take it too personally. :]</p>