<p>Let's look at Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore. Just how prestigious are these names, and which is the most/least prestigious? </p>
<p>How would you compare their prestige to that of University of Chicago? </p>
<p>I guess we could weigh two types of prestige -- the academic circle prestige, and on-the-street prestige. For example, Wall Street firms might totally revere a UChicago degree, but my little brother would think UChicago is another state college.</p>
<p>They are all very prestigious. People who care at all will know that these schools take similarly qualified candidates. The differences will tell them loosely the type of person you are, as they attract slightly different sorts. But they all read: smart person who aced his/her SATs, wrote great entrance essays, etc. As for personalities, Amherst is more straight-forward predictable and classical NE type (gross generalizations here!), UChicago more numbersy, intellectual for the sake of intellectualism and taking pride in that; Williams is smaller, more rural, with liberal arts in the NE sense of the word, definitely brainy, but more apt to be outdoorsy and sciency; Swarthmore students I have less of a handle on, but they are in that consortium that includes other brainiacs of Haverford, Bryn Mawr and UPenn, generally liberal, quiet Quaker tradition, maybe CS engineering, science, but equally likely to be interested in humanities and to understand why that’s important. They are all great schools.</p>
<p>The average guy on the street thinks little of these schools because they are rarely mentioned on ESPN.</p>
<p>Those who know schools know these are all great schools. Except for the idiots who think that unless you went to HYP, you went to a second rate school.</p>
<p>The all have high academic prestige. It is too close to call for most to least. I was going to give my view, but it’s pointless, and I found I didn’t really have one when I tried. On the street, it will just depend on how educated the person is that you are asking, and maybe what part of the country they come from. My loose guess for man on street name recognition, from my part of the country: Amherst, Chicago, Williams, Swarthmore, but I could easily reverse the first two. As for recognition from a child, I don’t really care, why do you?</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s possible, or even meaningful, to compare Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore on prestige. They’re equally prestigious.</p>
<p>I also don’t know whether or not it’s meaningful to compare those schools to UChicago as a general thing. I think all four of these colleges are prestigious both within academia and within those who need to know for hiring. UChicago is a powerhouse research university, so I think it has a little edge up in the latter two fields, but not to a degree that a student should definitely choose Chicago over the other three.</p>
<p>Chicago is really well known for economics. But one could do worse than studying economics at Amherst, Williams or Swarthmore as an undergrad and then going to Chicago for grad school.</p>
<p>Chicago is known for a lot of things ranging from geomorphology to ethnographic tourist studies (may or may not be true but I just had a midterm on an influential text written by a Uof C prof) to pure math to economics. That’s why it’s a research powerhouse. It’s pretty much good across the board.</p>
<p>Academically there’s not much to separate these schools, prestige-wise. As for street cred, if you desire that, don’t go to a LAC. Few folks on the street could even name three LACs. Chicago, the research uni, is likely the most “known” of the bunch. </p>
<p>The real issue is whether street cred would matter, supposing you had the luxury of deciding between these excellent schools. To me, it wouldn’t. Not a bit. There’s many other ways to differentiate these schools that might make a real difference to you. But that’s a very long process. It’s much harder.</p>
<p>Ahhhh I’m totally agreed with all of you. BrownParent, “On the street, it will just depend on how educated the person is that you are asking, and maybe what part of the country they come from.” So true. </p>
<p>If anyone is wondering why I put UChicago with the LAC’s, it’s because
<p>it seems like we’re in agreement that each would have almost equally great name recognition within academic circles, but maybe a tad better for uchicago in that realm. and it would depend on your major too.</p>
<p>important note: this whole talk about prestige? it’s just talk. i’m completely curious about it, i want to know your impressions, from your bare experience. not basing school decisions on the prestige at all :)</p>