<p>I had the same problem with UofC when I was set on going there. UofC, ironically enough, is underwhelmingly known in Illinois (at least the part of it where I live), and is overwhelmingly mistaken for UIC, a state school.</p>
<p>Haven’t had the problem with Harvard though…a significant amount of people don’t know where it’s located, though. Understandably, I probably didn’t either before I embarked on the college trail (which is evil and should be flooded).</p>
<p>Me pulling in the garbage can yesterday when female neighbor walks up. </p>
<p>Her: Oh, I hear your … is going to our (top rated) State school. I understand your need to save $100,000 rather than send her to a (more expensive) private school (like our kids go to).</p>
<p>Just ignored her and continued taking in the garbage cans. Garbage in, garbage out.</p>
<p>Well-meaning acquaintance: Where are you going to school next year?
Me (excitedly): University of Chicago!
Well-meaning acquaintance: Oh, is that a state school? </p>
<p>\facepalm</p>
<p>Giveherwings, she LITERALLY said that???</p>
<p>Giveherwings, that isn’t a silly comment, but a nasty comment.</p>
<p>I went to the U of St. Andrews in Scotland for a while, when faculty members found out I was from Michigan (which is always pronounced Mitch-ee-gan there), they would inquire about the U of Michigan and Michigan State U, asking “Which is the GOOD one?” or “Which is the PUBLIC one?”</p>
<p>The only reason anyone knows about Johns Hopkins in my school is because of Step Brothers (if you’ve seen it you’ll get the reference).</p>
<p>Adults where I live ask me where my son is going to school. When I tell them the name of his school they just give me a blank look and say nothing. I pause, and then I tell them what town it’s in, how long of a drive we have, and what he likes about the school. Six months later I have to tell them the name of the school again. </p>
<p>My former boss asked me how much the tuition was and I told her. I think she thought I made up the figure.</p>
<p>People: So, you picked Harvard, right?
Me: Oh, no. I picked MIT.
People: *Blank stare<a href=“I%20also%20get%20a%20lot%20of” title=“Why aren’t you going to college overseas?”>/i</a></p>
<p>People: So what do you plan to study.
Me: Linguistics
Them: Blank stare Oh that’s nice/What’s that?</p>
<p>7th grader I tutor a lot: Where are you going to college?
Me: MIT.
Her: What’s that?
Me: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It’s pretty cool, in Boston.
(I don’t know if I really knew what MIT was in 7th grade was either though. )</p>
<p>Looking at the list of senior destinations in our final newspaper with the other seniors in chem
Them: Oh [insert valedictorian here] is going to Duke? I thought he’d go somewhere like Harvard or something.
Me: Duke’s rated, like, number 4. Higher than where any of the other vals are headed
Them: Oh.</p>
<p>Here’s a convo where I’ve been the awkward one:</p>
<p>Her: I’m going to Hampton.
Me: Oh cool! My great-great grandmother went there.
Her: … I don’t think my great-great grandmother knew what college was.</p>
<p>OHHH, wait, I have the best one!
Friend: Millancad got into MIT!
Other friend’s mother: Ohhh, that’s so good! Have more canteloupe. Are you Native American?
Me: Ummmm, no?
(It was actually just a confusion of terms, since the friend’s mother meant like, am I American as opposed to Caribbean or something, not am I a Native American. But it was sooo funny then.)</p>
<p>Friend: Where are you going to college?
Me: Cornell
Friend: Don’t jump in the gorge HAHA.</p>
<p>-______-</p>
<p>“Friend: Millancad got into MIT!
Other friend’s mother: Ohhh, that’s so good! Have more canteloupe. Are you Native American?
Me: Ummmm, no?”</p>
<p>this is awesome.</p>
<p>Mine was from last year, but is pretty funny…</p>
<p>This is from my boss…
(Boss): Hey, congrats on getting into UCLA!
(Me): oh, thanks!
(Boss): Yeah, I mean, how did you do it?
(Me): Do what?
(Boss): Beat out all those Asians and get in?
(Me): Just gotta have it.
(Thankfully he didn’t ask what “it” was)</p>
<p>Oh and others I’ve recieved…
“Pepperdine huh? I guess thats a decent school, I mean, for a religious school that forces religion down your throat”</p>
<p>“USC. Well congrats, but I really don’t hope you become a condom brand”</p>
<p>A few of these were from friends…</p>
<p>“So sorry your son is joining the Air Force”
“He’s going to the Air Force Academy”
“I know, I know - like I said, I’m sorry”</p>
<p>“Wharton School? I’ve never heard of it - must be some podunk school in the middle of bum**** nowhere”
“No, it’s a really well-known school, Donald Trump went there, Warren Buffet spent time there, really good businessmen.”
“WOW! I can’t believe all those billionaires all went to the same little crappy college”</p>
<p>For my oldest daughter I gave up saying she went to Columbia because people constantly asked me if it was in South Carolina. I just started saying she went to school in NYC. People who really had any interest or knew anything about NYC schools might then ask to which school, and I would tell them.
For my second daughter, I gave up telling them Transylvania because I really got blank stares. Not only has no one ever heard of it, but those who have heard the word always ask if she goes to school with Dracula or the vampires. So for her, I just started saying she goes to school in KY so she can be with her horses.
Finally when the baby picked Harvard, I thought I could actually say the name of the school and people would have heard of it. The first person I told had heard of it, but asked me where it is, and I have since found out that many people have never heard of Cambridge, MA. The question I really hate, however, is “Harvard! Is she really smart?” How can I win answering that question? Looks like I will be saying that she goes to school in MA after all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m sorry. Some of you are friends with some very IGNORANT people. Stupid people. How could anyone with a normal IQ not know the approximate location of one of the 50 states? Come on, no adult is that stupid.</p>
<p>Hey Millancad, are you looking forward to classes with Noam Chomsky? Is he still at MIT?</p>
<p>Malfool that is hilarious!</p>
<p>I have learned that the very best response to a stupid question is to say:</p>
<p>“Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>Ignorant person will then say something like “I was just wondering,” or, “Oh because. I’ve always heard…xxxx…” </p>
<p>… at which point you can say</p>
<p>“Oh” (just “Oh” if you don’t want to continue the convo) or “That’s not the case here” and then explain if you are patient.</p>
<p>Between a friend of mine and another classmate at UT Austin:</p>
<p>Friend: Yea, so I’m going to transfer…again.</p>
<p>Classmate: Where to?</p>
<p>Friend: Oh, University of Houston-Main Campus for accounting.</p>
<p>Classmate: You can’t spell duh without UH (followed by laughter), only the best and brightest can hang it out at UT!</p>
<p>
That’s what lots of us Harvard grads do, but the trouble with that approach is that you look stupid if they finally worm it out of you.</p>
<p>Just saw that Cornell one… this happens SO MUCH</p>
<p>Someone will be asking me where I’m interested in going and I’ll mention Cornell.
Them- “Cornell has the highest suicide rate, dont go there!”</p>
<p>I LOVE THIS!!! </p>
<p>When my sister was going to college she decided to go Columbia, and one day we got a call from my grand mom all mad saying " Why are you sending the little girl to that dangerous country??" and my mom replied, “no, mom that’s Colombia, she is going to Columbia in NYC” (we are obviously internationals)</p>
<p>Then when I called a friend of mine who is attending Harvard to tell him that I was going to Grinnell in Iowa he said " I’m sure the cows will make good company for you"</p>