<p>the average guy off the street doesn't know the difference between the U Penn and Penn State. That irritates me. If you asked the average guy to name off the ivies, they'd say Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and then say something dumb like MIT. So if i go to someplace like the University of Chicago or Washington U in St. Louis, the average person will have no clue what it took to get in. They'll just shrug and ask "is that good?"</p>
<p>What about employers? Hopefully they have a better clue? </p>
<p>Also, how much regional effect is there? I've heard that down south Vanderbilt is really respected by everyone, whereas in the north, the average person hasn't even heard of it.</p>
<p>I know what you mean! Sooo many people complain about how ppl think UPenn is the same as Penn State! my philosophy is that the average ''Joe Schmoe" wont be the person hiring you (hopefully), but the well-educated boss that is hiring you SHOULD know. I would say in larger cities/ companies, most executives would be familiar with UChicago, WUSTL, and Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>The most important thing about college, by a long shot, is the experience you have and the things you learn while you're there - the quality of the academics, the people you meet. That has nothing to do with name recognition: the schools that have the most name recognition are definitely not the right schools for everyone.</p>
<p>Once you get out into the "real world", employers tend to be educated about where to look for good employees. They know what the best schools are in their field and will seek out graduates of those schools. Same thing with grad schools - in both cases, the people who will be reviewing your application will have a good sense of academic quality even if you don't come from a name-brand school.</p>
<p>So the only time when name recognition really comes into play is when Joe Shmoe says "Oh, you're a senior! Where are you going to college?" And it's definitely fulfilling to name an impressive school that you know they associate with quality. I feel your pain - most people have no idea what I'm talking about when I tell them I'm applying to Oberlin. It's frustrating to be asked for the average SAT or the US News ranking, and know that they're wondering why I'm not going HYPM. But I know that prospective employers and grad schools will recognize Oberlin's prestige, and I also know that I'd be far more happier there than at an Ivy League school. I'm going to college to learn, not to impress Joe Shmoe. That knowledge definitely outweighs the lack of name recognition.</p>
<p>If they don't know the difference betw. U Penn and Penn State, or know the value of a U Chicago education, then you probably don't want to hang-out or work with them anyway.</p>
<p>While I understand your frustration, I think you are underestimating the power of connections; Joe Schmoe may very well be your superior if he's married to some VP's daughter. A couple of years ago, I interviewed for an internship at this financial institution and didn't get the job. No big deal, right? When I asked if there were any suggestions for improvement, he said I "shouldn't use such big words." I thought he was joking, so I started laughing and he just kind of stared at me. Whatever, I had another interview the next day for a rival financial institution. I didn't alter my vocabulary and I got the job with higher pay.</p>
<p>I doubt that guy would've known nor cared how different UPenn is from Penn State. But at the end of the day, how much he knows doesn't matter because he gets paid the same salary either way. That's just the way of the universe sometimes.</p>