<p>LOL Pizzagirl I haven’t been out of the house yet this morning since I found the thread. But I don’t think the input from my hometown would have changed much, based on the recommendations that my S got for his college search from people on the street (grandparents’ neighbors) when we were in WI this summer. Not sure if that feedback is too old for your survey.</p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago I went to visit my hometown. My mom’s friend received a call that someone had shot out some windows at their farm house. We helped and drove out to the farm to check it out. We were greeted by an old friend of mine from high school that lived nearby, who had heard the shots and went over to investigate, armed with a couple of shotguns. I think the shots were actually meant for my old friend’s house. We chatted a bit, had some laughs, and talked about the good old days.</p>
<p>Next week when I am in town, I’ll ask him (and other friends) at the pub what they think of Haverford and Carleton. I won’t let you down PG.</p>
<p>Everyone around here would say Harvard or Yale.
Harvard is the most impressive, even around my immigrant family members. My father didn’t even know what Yale was.</p>
<p>I’m not asking to give specific LAC’s and ask what people’s opinions are! I am asking … if you just ask the question as follows … what, in your opinion are the best colleges in this country and let the person take the ball from there and observe not only what they say, but how much of a “fund” of information or beliefs they even seem to have in the first place. I’m asking unaided, not aided.</p>
<p>I don’t think the OP is giving his/her fellow Minnesotans and those in bordering states enough credit. I live within a couple hours of the Twin Cities. Carleton, Macalester, Grinnell, St. Olaf and UW Madison are all within a few hours drive. Most everyone (not all) I know is aware of the status of these schools. No need to go to the east coast; we have elite schools in our own backyard.</p>
<p>I had done this exercise last year while DD was applying. She wanted a “well rounded” list of applications to ‘Reach, Reliable and Safety’ schools, both Universities and LAC’s represented.</p>
<p>We are 4th generation Minnesotan’s and a large family. I am the oldest, so my kids are the first coming up through the ranks of H.S. graduation (all Cousins, Aunts and Uncles that graduated before 1990? went to the University of Minnesota or Minnesota State College system).</p>
<p>At every family gathering (multiple birthdays and holidays throughout the year), DD was asked where she was considering college;</p>
<p>Anyplace outside Minnesota, that was NOT in the BIG 10? was met with the immediate vapid stare. Even Northwestern was always assumed to be “Northwestern Bible College.” DD eventually whittled her apps down to 7, was accepted into 5, and though she was accepted into Brown and the University of Richmond, neither carried any weight, or was held in any esteem by family or friends. Nobody knew Brown was an Ivy. They thought it was “Brown Institute” a communications tech school in Minneapolis! :D</p>
<p>When she announced she was going to a MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) University? there was immediate recognition and approval.</p>
<p>Pizza, you’re getting kind of overwrought about this-what you’re NOT getting is thst the answers are going to vary widely based on location, whether or not the question is asked, and unaided or not. People view college through their own lenses and those lenses vary depending on economic status, ethnicity, location, neighborhood, parents’ and grandparents’ backrounds. So I have to ask-why bother with this, and why does the answer matter so much?</p>
<p>I grew up in southern NH. Even families who had never sent a kid to college knew about Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, etc. because it wasn’t uncommon to take day trips all over New England. We knew about some of the many others in the east because the states are small and gas was cheap and people traveled. We didn’t know that much about schools in the midwest or west coast because there wasn’t much need-we had such good schools right there.</p>
<p>In Seattle when you talk about “top colleges” UW comes up a lot because people don’t like to leave the area-they go to school right in their hometown and stay here. So UW has produced the last few Seattle mayors, county execs, governors and many of the city and county councilmembers. People know about Harvard and Yale, but also Standford since it’s much closer. And Duke comes up a lot. Yes, I talk about it since I have kids of college age and another headed there eventually. </p>
<p>BUT-in my own neighborhood and social groups, D’s church and H’s family, you will get entire different answers-schools that I’ve yet to see anyone on this board remotely consider a “best” school. Ask around here and the answers are Howard, Morehouse and Spelman, Hampton for med school, Grambling for music. They know about Harvard, but there’s a whole other list for them. At a end-of-year dance recital last June, the director had the graduating seniors come up and gave them flowers and wished them well. She gave the names of their colleges. UW-polite applause. Everyone goes there. Some out-of-state school-polite applause. Tuskegee-thunderous applause, cheers and whistles. </p>
<p>So your survey means nothing that we didn’t already know-the answers vary by many factors, so who cares?</p>
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<p>I’m not speculating. I work in a school and have met many parents as well as knowing quite a few MOTS. Then too, my two olders have been through the college app process and go to schools less known around here, so like others, have had to explain.</p>
<p>Locally (MOTS, may or may not be college grads), there are many who know about HYP Ivies - but few who see them in a good “best school” light. Most feel they are overrated and snobby or elitist. MIT raised its status due to the Big Bang Theory, but fewer know about CalTech even with it being related to the same show. The vast majority consider Penn State to be “the best” school to go to if you can get in. You’d probably get a few who would consider Pittsburgh to be an equal.</p>
<p>Otherwise, schools tend to be as good as their sports teams, so schools like Duke are decent and Stanford has been getting a step up lately. Schools like Williams? What’s that? One would need to explain. U Alabama is known, but hasn’t been able to shake the southern stigma. Ditto that for schools like Oklahoma and Nebraska. So, maybe it’s “coastal state” schools with good sports teams…</p>
<p>I once asked an Ivy adcom what she thought were top schools- and got that blank stare. Point being, it’s relative. Best schools for what? </p>
<p>On a lighter note, there was a time when I lived in S.CA and had to figure out that CA Inst of the Arts, CA Inst of the Arts and Technology, and CA Inst of Technology were three different schools.
Next time I run into a MOTS, will ask.</p>
<p>When our DD was in 8th grade, the GC at the local high school met with us. She took a look at her test scores and said, “She should go to an Ivy League School, like Duke.”</p>
<p>A little off topic; but I think it’s easy to get caught up in the “CC Bubble” and believe that every parent of every H.S. student is as engaged (obsessed) as we are, with the issues and topics that live on CC. In retrospect, I’m recalling that fewer than half of DD’s substantial peer group and graduating class even expressed plans for a post HS education. And of those that did? well over 80 some % were staying in-state and the next most substantial %age heading to a UW (University of Wisconsin) system school (Madison, Lacrosse, River Falls, Eau Claire) and NDSU (that’s North Dakota State!) was 3rd most popular.</p>
<p>I’m sure that’s a fact not all driven by circumstance.</p>
<p>I don’t think I have to do this experiment. Since we moved to Central Ohio I’d have never have believed that so many millions of people could be so completely in love with a university. Everyone’s wardrobe is at least half grey/white/red, and probably their interior decor, house paint color, car (adorned with stickers featuring leaves and nuts or Brutus).</p>
<p>I can also tell you what they’d say the worst university in the country is ;)</p>
<p>Don’t be so sure about Stanford (rural, sort of, South Jersey here). I mean they’ve probably heard of it but they wouldn’t know it’s an ivy equal. Harvard Yale and Princeton yes. We are only about an hour from Penn, Swarthmore and Haverford, yet I don’t think the MOTS recognizes these as TOP schools (maybe a few… Penn).</p>
<p>My friend the other day told me Notre Dame is the richest and most selective school in the country. He was sure of it. I just agreed.</p>
<p>Penn State, even post- scandal, is still > Penn to most around here. PSU being OOS, even though it’s an adjacent state, and of course this being NJ, seems to add to the allure. </p>
<p>Once I told someone my S was a student at Carnegie Mellon…he said he thought that was a bank.</p>
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<p>classic… great. :p</p>
<p>Its all U Texas or A&M here.</p>
<p>i thought Carnegie Mellon University changed its name to Citizens University.</p>
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<p>OHmomof2, those Wolverines would say the same of THE Ohio State University. :)</p>
<p>My parents recognize the top Ivies and Stanford. They think Reed is the top LAC in the country because of a comment their brother-in-law made over 50 years ago. They think Carleton is some bush league local school (really haven’t heard of it). Have not told them at all that D2 is applying to Harvey Mudd (my mom will hate it if D goes there, as she wouldn’t want to brag about it at bridge club).</p>
<p>*
I actually find it refreshing that people don’t know much about college. There’s hope after all.*</p>
<p>You are never going to get any more little green squares with * that * attitude, missy!
;)</p>
<p>Sorry, I live in a university town and can’t play–most people around here have heard of quite a few schools and I would feel super-awkward asking the question. Williams might be a bit unfamiliar, although a colleague’s granddaughter is a student there. </p>
<p>When I was growing up, however, a friend of my mother’s mentioned that she had gone to Wellesley. Several other women in the group (not my mother) thought she meant Wesleyan.</p>
<p>“So UW has produced the last few Seattle mayors…”</p>
<p>The current one went to Williams.</p>