<p>Out of HYP, I feel like more people recognize Harvard and Princeton than Yale. Do you guys think that’s true?</p>
<p>Harvard is more recognized than Princeton and Yale. I only knew of Princeton at a young age because of the movie A Cinderella Story. </p>
<p>Princeton - no reference to “Risky Business”?
I am dating myself. :o)</p>
<p>And Yale is more recognized than Princeton, IMO.</p>
<p>University of Phoenix. All those ads… ;)</p>
<p>Princeton is not only academically notable, but they have also had some succcess in the NCAA tournament and they even have an offense type named for the school. I think more ‘Joe’s and Jane’s’ would be familiar with Princeton than some of the other Ivies. (Though they may not know it is in NJ)</p>
<p>Harvard and Yale are about equally notable mostly for their age and being Ivies. Both are referred to in movies as exemplars of stuffy, rich elitist education and so may be familiar simply based upon stereotypes portrayed by Hollywood.</p>
<p>Yale was Shale University in the Flintstones. Sandra Bullock’s character in The Heat was a a Yale Grad. Suits all Harvard grads only. House of Cards Harver grad. Moneyball - Yale grad (but that was the writer being cheeky) In 21 jump Street everyone was jealous of one guy’s early “admish” to UC Berkeley - the list goes on and on and on…</p>
<p>Gonzaga University is a school I recognize the name immediately from all the NCAA men’s bkb appearances the school has made…but it is the school that I always seem to forget where it’s at. I picture the Gonzaga campus out in the sticks in Pennsylvania always, when I know the school is in Spokane, Washington.</p>
<p>One thing I noticed when I asked “Joe Shmo”, DH , myself (though that is biased), my son the question to name some colleges and waiting till the hesitated to come up with more after the first list, is that the schools that were forefront on their minds came up first. Most striking with DH. I think when the Bowls are going on, those schools are right on top of the mind. When on college vists, those schools are. When the basket tournaments are on, those schools come to mind only to disappear soon afterwards. I remember when Butler and some other little school were doing well there was talk about them, and this year, they did not come up. So there is a short term memory thing when it comes to asking for a list. </p>
<p>I don’t think listing the schools and asking which ones they recognize is as relevant as some names strike a chord when that recognition has nothing to do with that school, such as the UNCWilmington to English folks who will find familiarity in the name when they had no idea that school existed. Alot of folks might nod at Cornell College, but few know it is a school in Iowa. I don’t know how many times people have mixed up Miami U with U Miami. By having them just list schools until they pause, think, get a second wind, come up with more, you can see which schools happen to be front and foward in the brain. But when I listed my colleges, I left out my own alma mater till several pauses later. </p>
<p>In addition to schools that have no university in their names, there are schools like NYU, Colorado College, University of Denver, that have city, state names in them that are NOT state schools. </p>
<p>“I picture the Gonzaga campus out in the sticks in Pennsylvania always, when I know the school is in Spokane, Washington.”</p>
<p>What’s the difference!</p>
<p>Want to know how insular this group is? Nobody has mentioned West Point.</p>
<p>^ Actually back a page @2018dad did. But not everyone knows the actual name for West Point is the United States Military Academy (like Cal/Berkeley maybe?).</p>
<p>You’re right, I missed it–2018dad gets the credit.</p>
<p>I was a pretty average Jane Schmo before my kids started looking at colleges. Maybe even below average, as far as colleges go. But I had definitely heard of Princeton and knew it was on par with Harvard and Yale. I was not a sports fan, either, but I would’ve listed Notre Dame if asked to name “famous colleges.” I would’ve listed Stanford, too, but probably not MIT, nor any of the other Ivies. They just wouldn’t have come to mind for me back then. </p>
<p>“Where I come from, “Go Blue!” is instantly recognizable. On the other hand, I’m ashamed to admit this truth: as a freshman at U-M in the 70’s, I did not know that the University of Michigan and Michigan State University were different schools. I thought they were just different ways to say the same thing. I was enlightened come football time – not an intramural game.”</p>
<p>Don’t feel bad… I suffered from the same misconception, and actually ended up going to MSU partly because of it! (Go, Spartans!) I was from another state (MD), and I applied to MSU thinking I was applying to UM, then went to visit and take a scholarship test, realized the difference, but fell in love with the campus and didn’t apply anywhere else. Didn’t hurt that we’d driven through Ann Arbor and not been impressed, but one stroll along the banks of the Red Cedar River and I knew where I was going for the next 4 years. Still, if I’d realized that there was a difference between MSU and UM, I doubt I would have applied or visited “moo U”.</p>
<p>I think that the tv ads do make a huge difference now. I agree that University of Phoenix, SNHU, and maybe even Art Institutes would be recognizable to most “Joe Schmoes” these days. </p>
<p>For nationwide recognition (“Have you heard of ________?”), I’d add Notre Dame, Harvard, most of the big state schools (e.g., University of Washington, Ohio State, etc.), UCLA, the military academies. Also any place that has had a scandal or shooting spree within the past 3 years.</p>
<p>Most U of ______________ (fill in any state name or city name) would be easily recognizable.</p>
<p>I think for a lot of Joe Scmoes what is recognizable will depend on which sport season it is. In March Duke and Kentucky will have much more top of the mind awareness than in December and January. Other than Harvard most people aren’t really going to know or care just how academically prestigious a college is.</p>
<p>Most Americans probably know about West Point, and the Navy and Air Force military academies…not so Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech name is probably recognized by most Shmoes…Georgia Tech has that cool ‘Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech’ song! </p>