Tufts and BC are the most prestigious colleges after HYPSM.

College Search & Selection
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<p>My mom was telling me how important it is for me to get accepted to Tufts and BC because her patients (she's a doctor), staff, etc. perceive those colleges to be the most prestigious after HYPSM (my mom didn't say "HYPSM" but she said "schools like Harvard, Yale, and MIT).
So far I've gotten into Notre Dame and UNC-CH. She told me that when people have asked her about what colleges I've gotten into most were unaware of Notre Dame (Idk about UNC because I just got in a few days ago), where it is, its academic quality, etc. while those same people think Tufts and BC are the best ever. I thought ND was on the national radar as far as colleges go.
She told me that people are even more impressed with Tufts and BC than they are with Duke (people always ask her where I'm applying, so she takes note of how they react)...which is surprising because I thought Duke reached a level of immense national prestige (though I know it's no Harvard).
I live in MA btw. </p>

<p>This conversation made me wonder how prevalent this kind of thinking is in other regions (e.g. someone in NY thinking NYU is far superior to BC and Tufts). So I thought CC would be an interesting place to discuss this topic as you guys are from all over!
Thoughts? I'd love to hear what the thinking is like in your respective regions.</p>

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<p>Maybe she just wants you to go to school near home?</p>

<p>Duke, Notre Dame are more prestigious than Tufts or BC.</p>

<p>UNC is one of the top public universities, long considered a public Ivy.</p>

<p>But the fit for you is the most important thing, not the prestige. You can get a great education at any of those schools. If I was applying to colleges again, I’d choose Notre Dame out of those you’ve mentioned, for its reputed quality for undergrad teaching.</p>

<p>Yes, prestige and awareness of particular schools varies by region. Chasing prestige is especially a serious illness in the Northeast. A very provincial region of the country that lacks awareness of great schools outside its region.</p>

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<p>@ zapfino, No, she wasn’t suggesting that she wants me to attend school close to home. She definitely wants me to attend whatever school best fits me. She just wants me to get ACCEPTED to Tufts and BC so that when people ask her where I got in she can say I got in there.</p>

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<p>I think your mom has a very Boston-centric view. All of the schools you mentioned are great top-50 universities. I think the most well known nationally of those you mentioned are Duke and Notre Dame. It helps to have great basketball teams! Tell your mom to stop stressing about prestige and be happy you got in to such great competitive schools!</p>

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<p>Also, I totally agree that the prestige-chasing is a terrible illness around here. When I got into UNC and told my dad I was seriously considering it, he said “No way! That’s the LAST school on your list I want you to go to. UNC isn’t known for ANYTHING.” Of course I corrected him, but still…
Also, he has a negative attitude toward Vanderbilt, Wash U, and even Northwestern, because he feels that in the Northeast they simply aren’t prestigious.
It still stands though that they want me to be happy and choose a college based on fit. I just hate hearing some of the things they say.</p>

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<p>Among people who are clueless or can’t think for themselves, this kind of parochial thinking is quite prevalent.</p>

<p>Congrats. You’ve been accepted to two great schools. IMHO, You’ve earned the right to think for yourself.</p>

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<p>Unaware of Notre Dame? Seriously? </p>

<p>And Tufts>Duke? Sorry, no.</p>

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<p>Here’s some public opinion survey results from different regions:
[Harvard</a> Number One University in Eyes of Public](<a href=“http://www.gallup.com/poll/9109/harvard-number-one-university-eyes-public.aspx]Harvard”>http://www.gallup.com/poll/9109/harvard-number-one-university-eyes-public.aspx)</p>

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<p>Beyond Harvard, Yale and Stanford, opinion varies by region.</p>

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<p>Of course you’re from MA. Nobody else would consider BC with the top schools. </p>

<p>I’ll give you some perspective from a New Yorker (also in the northeast) which probably applies to most of the country. Tufts is reputed to be a school for kids who couldn’t get into Harvard. Still prestigious and very good, but not as well known outside the northeast. Outside of Boston area, BC has nowhere near the reputation you think. </p>

<p>Most New Yorkers don’t regard NYU as very special. In fact, I would say NYU’s reputation is better outside NY. If anything, New Yorkers largely perceive NYU as on par with BU, not BC.</p>

<p>I cannot imagine anyone unaware of Notre Dame. Especially in Boston, with it’s big Irish population. Notre Dame is an outstanding school, and one of the most famous and prestigious in the world. What are you worried about?</p>

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<p>This may be generational, but to this GenXer and NYC native who attended a NYC Specialized high school, anyone who said NYU…with the exception of Stern/Tisch is far superior to Tufts and BC among my high school classmates would prompt nothing but scornful laughter. </p>

<p>BC and NYU-CAS were regarded about the same level and Tufts was a level higher. </p>

<p>And this was considering the fact there was a strong bias among our GCs and parents which favored NYU as the “more intellectual school” and BC as the big sports/drinking culture/party school which attracted classmates who were big Eagles sports fans. This was regardless of religious affiliation as the top high school classmates who were Catholic overwhelmingly preferred Georgetown or Notre Dame over BC because of perceived greater academic prestige. </p>

<p>Moreover, we regarded Duke, UNC-CH, and Notre Dame as on par or just a level below the Ivies. </p>

<p>No disrespect, but it sounds like your parents are extremely blinkered in their perceptions of US colleges/universities.</p>

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<p>Was this a recent development? I’m wondering as while NYU-CAS was regarded as a school for rich -B/B average students from my high school, BU was regarded a whole level below NYU. Was regarded as a private school of last resort for well-off rejects from BC, NYU, SUNY flagships, and even some top CUNY flagships(i.e. Brooklyn, Hunter, etc) who wanted to be in the Boston area.</p>

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<p>Most people here are giving anecdotal evidence. But they do highlight an important trait: that a lot of perceptions are regionally based.</p>

<p>For example, whoever posted above about the East perception, (which includes the Carolinas, etc.) Penn State was listed on there (I think above Penn?). Great school, but obviously not thought of that highly in different regions of the country.</p>

<p>That being said, in Boston, Tufts is highly regarded, especially in the medical field (and of course, IR). Tufts, MIT, Harvard are the “Brain power triangle” because they are on the red-line/are thought to have the brainy kids. But if you go to the midwest people would never have heard of Tufts. Actually, I know people in the midwest who had never heard of Columbia or MIT! I find the educated individuals are the ones who are aware (some minute surprises, but generally people who read, are on wall street, in the medical field, in government, etc.)</p>

<p>It’s just a matter of where you grew up and who have hung out with. A prime example (which I hate to use, but perhaps gives some insight) is UNWR peer surveys by college counselors:</p>

<p>[Best</a> Colleges - Education - US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-counselor-rank]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-counselor-rank)</p>

<p>Tufts is .1 behind U Penn and Cal Tech (they have 4.6 and Tufts has 4.5). It ties with U of Chicago and Vanderbilt.</p>

<p>And BC is at 4.4, tied with both Emory and Rice.</p>

<p>These trends aren’t seen in in the other component of the peer survey (which has its flaws by a lot of people hurting their rival institutions or passing along the forms to their secretary) where it has long been thought that Tufts (and Wake) get undercut more than they should. </p>

<p>Again, </p>

<p>I think people’s perceptions are all different. Depends on what you are studying, depends on fit, depends on the region of the country. But Tufts does have a strong reputation (from my experience) in the Northeast, NYC, and one that is gaining momentum in California and Texas. For example, Tufts now has Goldman, Deutsche Bank, JPM, and UBS, recruit in Investment Banking (other firms include BlackRock and DE Shaw). And Tufts has recruiters from Microsoft and Google. That is, these corporations are actually paying to come and hold interviews. I realize, however, that this is an oversimplification of jobs and such. </p>

<p>It should be noted, however, that New York isn’t in New England but is in the Northeast. In New England, Tufts is very highly regarded even among lay people. Northeast (and NYC, specifically), you find it highly regarded among the educated in the fields I listed. Some lay people may be aware and see it highly while others may not. Again, regions, and lay people aren’t the ones making grad school and/or employment decisions.</p>

<p>Something to think about.</p>

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<p>It’s funny that someone like your mom, a doctor, would be concerned with something so frivolous, haha. I’ll bet that if you get into Tufts and BC and then decide to attend college elsewhere your mom will continue to say you got into Tufts and BC years after the decision. “Oh, she graduated from Notre Dame last year. But she got into Tufts and BC in high school.” “Oooh, Tufts!”</p>

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Yep, it’s regional. I’ll bet your average Physician in Texas will think more of UT or Baylor than they will of Penn or Northwestern, or Carleton or Swarthmore.</p>

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<p>Wow, what an incredibly regional and parochial point of view. </p>

<p>Honestly, out here in Chicago, few people even know Tufts (which doesn’t make it not a fine school – it was high on S’s list – but just illustrating the point that it’s all regional.</p>

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That’s what I thought too… what other school is so well known that it gets a nationwide audience for football games despite a mediocre record recently?</p>

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<p>I live in DC, which on a national level isn’t terribly far from Boston, and here virtually everyone regards Notre Dame as a good school, and virtually no one has heard of Tufts.</p>

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<p>DC is Virginia-esq area. Pretty different. But people in politics know Tufts. On the flip-side, people in Maine or New Hampshire haven’t ever heard of Northwestern, Wake Forest, Emory, or Vanderbilt. Weird, right? Again, these are lay people versus educated.</p>

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<p>Sounds like your parents care too much about what other people think of their daughter. </p>

<p>As far as the national radar, I am shocked that anyone thinks of Duke as not A’s prestigious as BC or Tufts. From South Florida, Duke is one of the most sought after and most people haven’t even heard of Tufts. </p>

<p>As far as goes, it is VERY well regarded not only in the Midwest but also among Catholics.</p>

<p>Also, I’m sure you’ll get into both BC and Tufts if you got into CH OOS and ND.</p>

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<p>And here in the midwest, Duke and ND are well regarded, but UNC-Chapel Hill isn’t on the radar screen – the big state universities that get the lion’s share of attention are Michigan and Wisconsin and to a lesser extent Illinois. UNC-Chapel Hill would be seen by most people as “oh, well, I guess NC has a state university and that’s what it is.” </p>

<p>It’s. All. Regional.</p>

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<p>^Oh yeah. Out here laypeople do NOT know about UNC or ND. They do, however, know Duke is “supposedly” a good school–but still view it as very jocky/frat-boy atmosphere, colored I think by the scandal several years ago.</p>

<p>The UCs are viewed as golden. Berkeley and LA are seen as on par, and if a kid chooses LA over Berkeley it’s because of social reasons, and no one thinks it’s weird or a poor decision. Mid-level UCs, such as Davis, San Diego and UCSB are also viewed as great schools. Obviously Stanford is highly valued, and many students would pick Stanford over Harvard (or any other Ivy/MIT). Unfortunately, LACs aren’t accorded nearly the same level of respect. That goes for schools like Carleton, Amherst, and Bowdoin–I tell people I’ve applied to Bowdoin and they have no idea where it is, much less how good of a school it is–as well as Claremont Colleges, like Pomona or Claremont McKenna. I see this as really unfortunate, because it is common not just with laypeople but with the more educated–pretty much everyone not actively doing a college search or helping others do such a search. But of course it is understandable that big universities have more name recognition than LACs. I just wish more people in California had heard of Pomona, at least!</p>