<p>as the average american. not the liberal elite, or the non liberal elite (lol). the people that decided this years election basically.</p>
<p>The average American does not have a Bachelor's (right now, only something like 30% do). Among these 30%, many people got a degree just to have one, and are not that up-to-date on colleges. So, the average American is a middle-class blue-collar worker who knows about Harvard and Yale, but doesn't know all that much about any instutions other than the ones good in the sports he follows or in his state.</p>
<p>"Coming originally from back east I often tell folks that stare at me blankly when I say my son is at Pomona, that it is a school like Amherst. They still look at me blankly and ask what Amherst is."</p>
<p>you know, most people in southern california dont even know pomona college exists there. the only school they might know with "pomona" in it is cal poly pomona. only those in academia and those who are highly involved in college admissions (CC-ers) know pomona; most honors kids have never heard of it, much less apply to it.</p>
<p>Every time people ask me where I goto school, when I tell them "Michigan", the usual response is "oh thats nice." And then some of them go on rambling about how great their no name school is, and how Iowa State is ranked a top 5 program in Computer Science and how they could have gotten into Michigan easily, but didn't feel like applying. I just laugh it off and carry on.</p>
<p>You don't start making emotional posts in the over/underrated universities thread, or start whining about how underappreciated public schools are? Gee Jeff, I'm not sure you'll fit in here.</p>
<p>I'm amused amused.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Duke - You may be smart, but I heard Coach K eats babies
[/quote]
Oh my gosh, how'd you know about that?!?!</p>
<p>But seriously, Mensa, what is your obsession with Charlotte Simmons oh my goodness! Get over it and understand that though the setting may be derived from Duke, the content is not! The author explains that!</p>
<p>drop the H-bomb aka Harvard</p>
<p>I know the bomb that immediately makes you look really good, "Harvard",Caltech, MIT.</p>
<p>In California they get confused by all the LACs in New England. </p>
<p>Haverford = Did she say Harvard? (with a drunken speech impediment?)
Wesleyan= Wellesley
Williams = William & Mary
Amherst, Swarthmore = you poor dear, going out of state to a junior college...
Vassar, Goucher = if they've heard of it, it is still all female</p>
<p>HOWEVER:</p>
<p>if the school has an NCAA Division 1 ranked team in any big deal sport they know all about the place... Seton Hall, Syracuse, Wake Forest Duke, Connecticut, Georgetown, Temple... all are well known out here via sports.</p>
<p>If you can't go to Harvard, go to Haverford or Howard and say it indistinguishably when someone asks you where you went. Or make a "typo" on your resume.</p>
<p>hahahaha nice</p>
<p>As ohio_mom put it...IIT (for engineers, at least) :)</p>
<p>A lot of people my age (20) have no idea what MIT is . . . in Colorado at least. At my high school a lot of people didn't think I was impressive because I was going to MIT, they thought MIT was impressive because I was going there. (I am not trying to be arrogant. My high school wasn't that good. I clearly had some pretty good stats since I got in to MIT and I am only mentioning the above point to show a lot of people don't know what MIT is).</p>
<p>Whenever I say where I go to school I say "MIT in Boston" because people sometimes think it's a two year technical school. I really wish MIT had the same appeal to the less educated as Harvard has. Of course a lot of people I talk two are appalled that I go there and they think it is really impressive, more impressive than any other school. Also, employers will obviously know MIT for engineering jobs.</p>
<p>I wish MIT had a name that wasn't vocational-schoolish like the Princeton Institute of Technology or something, so it could be called Princeton. (I can't think of a unique name right now.)</p>
<p>P.S. I wouldn't want to go to Harvard because I am a computer science major, but if I was into humanities Harvard would be one hell of a choice. I love their name recognition.</p>
<p>Kevtrice, it's good thing there's not a Princeton Institute of Technology...everyone would be saying you were the PIT's.</p>
<p>It basically comes down to which circles you're travelling in, and where you live......on Wall St. (unless you're a bond trader) if you say you went to Williams or Amherst you'd get immediate "Wow"......in Tallahassee they won't know what you're talking about since LAC's are not in the lexicon.(not great football)...just depends......If I'm talking about LAC's down here the only people who know what I'm referring to are Northerners....</p>
<p>Mensa;
You really have to make up your mind about Duke.
So far, you have defined the school by a few noteworthy observations:</p>
<ol>
<li>I think on one post you said that kids only go there because of the basketball. (where did you get that information from?)</li>
<li> You also said that it is overrated by USNEWS. (in what way?)</li>
<li>You insist that it has a low NBER ranking. (not many people even know such a ranking exists.)</li>
<li>I agree with ay_caramba that you do seem somewhat obsessed by Charlotte Simmons. (I am sure that most people have no idea whom or what that is.) </li>
<li> You have also asked if Duke is a "southern" school, whatever that means. You can check out the student demographics on their web site.</li>
</ol>
<p>Why are you so negative about this school? Do you have any personal experience(s) that we should know about?</p>
<p>In social situations, I actually try to avoid telling people that I'm an MIT grad. It tends to stop conversations dead. Usually, if asked, I just say I went to school "in Boston"....if pressed, I tell them.</p>
<p>I don't know if you wanna hear it, but this is how people think and react in Romania, if one says:
I go to ____________
- Harvard - wow, that is so awesome! They bow in awe.
- Yale - you go to where? I thought they were making keys! (some would recognise it, though)
- Princeton - awesome!
- MIT, Stanford, Caltech - they think you're a computer geek
- Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Haverford, Wesleyan and all the bunch - wow, you got into an US University (in their mind, they envy you because you actually study in the US but feel a little bit sorry for you, bc you did not get into Harvard)</p>
<p>Has this thread run its course?</p>