@uofp2020 The facts are that even if no one ever heard of it, it is obvious that Penn students have excellent educations.
However, that will not be a problem. In the Economist rankings show student incomes of Penn grads are second to Harvard among Ivy League schools.
I’d estimate 95% of the population in the US know nothing about Penn.
“I’d estimate 95% of the population in the US know nothing about Penn.”
True, it isn’t a school you pick to impress your grandma, Michigan State is more likely to do that. However, most people who will matter to your career do know. Penn has excellent job placement, and an unusually strong alumni network. You really do no need to worry about it.
The people who need to know what Penn is, know it. Don’t worry about the rest of the population. You don’t need to impress people with a name.
People in our circles here in So Cal don’t know Penn, but it doesn’t matter. For my son’s interests, Pixar knows Penn. 
@sbjdorlo Im in CA too! so your son hasnt encountered an employer who doesn’t know what Penn is?
OP: please drop this paranoia. Every single person has told you one consistent thing. This is getting silly
OP, I understand that you are young and nervous, but Penn is offering you have a quality of education that is offered to very few people in the world. Focus on what you are going to do to take full advantage of that opportunity. Are you going to do research? Study abroad? Intern? Sub-matriculate? double major? Add a minor? Will you go to hear as many speakers as you can? Participate in clubs? Volunteer? Will you be involved in Greek life? Will you work to build relationships with peers? How are you going to make the most of these four years? You are going to be in class with some of the world’s best students. Are you going to come prepared? Focus on the incredible opportunity in front of you instead of worrying about what Average Joe thinks.
If you are from California, maybe you know Elon Musk? He is the founder of Pay Pal, Tesla Motors, and Space X. He studied physics and business at Penn.
It isn’t a coincidence that 25 living billionaires have an undergraduate degree from Penn, more than any other school in the entire world. Harvard is second with 22 (you can google it). I am going to guess that not a single one of those people cares at all that many americans have never heard of their school and are totally unimpressed.
@uofp2020, um, my son is just starting at Penn in the fall, and has only had cello jobs, so I really wouldn’t know about employers.
@uofp2020
I said it before but I ll say it again just to make it clear and I don’t think there is much else to be said on the matter. Every major employer, grad school program not only knows but also respects Penn. In terms of employment outcomes, salaries etc Penn is amongst the very best and a huge number of firms from all different industries recruit here. A big number of Penn grads work on the west coast for major firms.
However Penn is not a school that is immediately recognizable in the general public, I.e. The people who haven’t gone to college, or havnet gone to top, elite colleges or work for major firms and are well-connected. But that doesn’t mean anything. I bet you these people can’t name any of the ivies past Harvard and maybe in some cases Yale too. These people will not matter for your future career and chances are if u graduate from Penn and go on to one of the many elite jobs Penn kids get, you won’t encounter people like that.
Now if you want the average Joe to be really impressed with the school you go to, then Penn cannot give u that in most cases. But guess what, apart from Harvard, Stanford, MIT and also prob Yale and Princeton in some cases, all the other elite ( top 15) schools cannot give u that either.
@penn95 “I bet you these people can’t name any of the ivies past Harvard”
I am going to suggest that, where I live, you are being too optimistic. Many people will not even get Harvard, if you just ask them to name an Ivy League University. lol
If you ask whether Harvard is in the Ivy League, they will probably say “yes.” Then if you ask whether MIT is in it, they will probably say “yes” again. lol For the man on the street, there is just no reason for them to know anything about these schools. It has no relevance to them at all.
UChicago has the same problem when it comes to name-recognition in the general ppublic. However, based on employment statistics that UChicago and UPenn have, it really doesn’t matter.