<p>I know that Penn is a really good school, but why does it not have a good "name" value like Columbia or Duke or Yale. I mean ppl think of Penn state. I do not attend there, but am thinking of applying ED and it is just something that bothers me.</p>
<p>If all you care about is prestige, then why the hell are you applying to Penn at all?
Like ***?</p>
<p>Colleges are about the facilities, faculty, and opportunity you can make for yourself; not what you get out of the name brand.</p>
<p>In any case, the Penn brand has come a long way from what it was a decade or two ago (from what I hear). As most people will be able to tell you: those who matter, will know what Penn is.</p>
<p>I am applying bc it is a college i would like to go to. I said it is something that is bothersome not a huge detterent.</p>
<p>Think of your application as an investment. Penn is consistently in the USNews top 10, and ranked among the top 10 most selective universities. 15 years ago, however, this was FAR from the case. Penn is going to need at least another 5-10 years in order to fully recover from that.
In 5-10 years, however, you will be seen as having attended a college on par with, certainly, Columbia and Duke.
I already see evidence of this with our generation, one that is less biased by the outdated rankings of yore. Penn is a fantastic school, and in 10 years there will be no doubts.</p>
<p>Also, I'm really sick of your sentiment. Not to target you personally, but if Penn is more selective than Duke and Columbia (and it quantitatively IS, look at freshman HS decile and SAT averages), how can you honestly agree with your statement?</p>
<p>HYP are the most prestigious schools in all the land this side of the Atlantic. Duke and Stanford have lots of lay prestige because of sports, not too much academics. Really, unless you want to wow the janitor or the secretary, you're better off at one of these lesser schools than Penn. However, if you want to impress a job recruiter or someone with a college degree or anyone else who is well educated (Penn kicks ass for graduate studies in many areas so lots of people would have looked into applying here) then don't worry about it. The people who matter will know.</p>
<p>Muerteapablo, I was not using selective as a measure of prestige, but rather ppl's perception and in Texas. If I get into Penn I will probably stay for seven years (undergrad and then law school) I know Penn is amazing, it is that other ppl do not know.</p>
<p>So your question maybe ought to be "Why is Texas so ignorant?"</p>
<p>Seriously. I live near Penn now, but I didn't grow up here. The notion that Columbia or Duke has meaningfully more academic prestige than Penn is really curious. I have no idea what high school students in Texas think, but I have always seen Columbia and Penn as pretty close equivalents, except in fringe areas (Wharton, nursing, education) where they can go either way. Duke is something of a johnny-come-lately; 30 or even 20 years ago it was a strong regional college, not really a national leader. Now it probably deserves mention with Columbia or Penn, but better? No.</p>
<p>Penn has always been prestigious, be it 10, 20 or 30 yrs. ago. I don't ever remember anyone who could actually distinguish between competitive colleges considering Penn not being prestigious, particularly compared to Columbia or Duke. Just an offensive, ignorant thread to start. </p>
<p>If you don't know about Penn's prestige, don't blame it on a lack thereof, blame it on you yourself being ill-informed.</p>
<p>I think certain regions of the country hold colleges in different esteem. Most texans stay in texas and so don't really care about other colleges unless they are tops in sports: Stanford and Duke, or the very top in academics: HYP.
They are not ignorant it is just a difference of priorities.</p>
<p>It seems many ppl get it mistaken for Penn State.</p>
<p>Why are you people jumping all over him?
It's a legitimate question.</p>
<p>Penn is prestigious. As prestigious as Columbia and Duke, but not more so than HYPSM. Besides, you go to college to learn, intellectually and socially, so you shouldn't care that much about whether or not the average Joe knows what your school is and where your school is. It depends on whom you ask, too.</p>
<p>^^If asking the question "Why is Penn not prestigious?" is a legitimate question, on the Penn board no less, than no one should attack the OP for asking such a question.</p>
<p>But now answer this question: How is that a legitimate question? Let's ask it again - "Why is Penn not prestigious?" Does that sound right? Now, let's reframe the question in a number of ways, as if it was asked by someone with a little common (sense) courtesy:</p>
<p>"Why is Penn not as prestigious as HYPSM?"</p>
<p>"Why is Penn's reputation not on the level of HYPSM?"</p>
<p>"Why does Penn appear to suffer an identity crisis?"</p>
<p>"Why do schools with equal or lesser overall prestige than Penn enjoy better name recognition?"</p>
<p>Wasn't so hard, was it? No one would have gotten the slightest bit offended at a different line of questioning. The OP was just trying to stir things up.</p>
<p>I am sorry I did not know I needed to be specific. Obviously I think Penn is a good school, otherwise I would not be applying i was just wondering why Penn did not have the same name recongintion as other schools, name recongition equals presitige so it came out as: why is penn not presitigious.</p>
<p>Not sure where you are in Texas, but Penn has been a "hot" school for Texas private school kids (and top publics) for many years now.
I just got back from campus (moving son back in) and it is a vibrant, exciting place. (it helped that it was beautiful weather and daylight)<br>
It has all the prestige it needs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Most texans stay in texas and so don't really care about other colleges unless they are tops in sports: Stanford and Duke, or the very top in academics: HYP.
They are not ignorant it is just a difference of priorities.</p>
<p>It seems many ppl get it mistaken for Penn State.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I second that entire post. I'm from south TX and it's the same thing. Penn's perception from most here is not very high. But like others have said, the people who know Penn (especially Wharton) here are more educated than those who don't.</p>
<p>Although I can see myself being a little annoyed by this if I end up at Penn, it would never discourage me from matriculating if given the opportunity. At the end, I wouldn't really care about what some people might think because for me (and people that might hire me in the future), Penn is more than "prestigious" enough.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So your question maybe ought to be "Why is Texas so ignorant?"
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Amen. I know Texans who think the world starts and ends with UT-Austin and SMU.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Seriously. I live near Penn now, but I didn't grow up here. The notion that Columbia or Duke has meaningfully more academic prestige than Penn is really curious. I have no idea what high school students in Texas think, but I have always seen Columbia and Penn as pretty close equivalents, except in fringe areas (Wharton, nursing, education) where they can go either way. Duke is something of a johnny-come-lately; 30 or even 20 years ago it was a strong regional college, not really a national leader.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I agree on Duke being a johnny-come-lately. 20, 30 years ago it was a strong regional college along with Vanderbilt and Tulane.</p>
<p>This is a funny question that came up in my head after reading this thread: Do people in Wharton typically say they go to Wharton when they're asked what school they go to?</p>
<p>Venkat what a rediclous comment..
[quote]
HYP are the most prestigious schools in all the land this side of the Atlantic. Duke and Stanford have lots of lay prestige because of sports, not too much academics.
[/quote]
Stanford is absolutely more prestigous than Penn an on par with HYP...wherever you are. You actually made a comment that Stanford lacks academic prestige....go out in the real world it has more than Penn. I really like Penn and I do believe it is equivalent in prestige with Columbia and Duke, but try and keep some perspective on this argument. Also for the record, Columbia more selective than duke (10.6% acceptance rate this year compared to 16% for Penn and like 21% for Duke). They are all very prestigous to anyone who matters, but they are not HYPS, but then again no one is...and they are the best afterwards</p>
<p>I'm a native Texan, educated in Texas and a Texas attorney who now lives on the West Coast. I am very, very familiar with most, if not all of the major Texas colleges. I practiced with attorneys who graduated from Harvard undergrad and then UT law, Yale undergrad and Baylor Law and Yale undergrad, then Harvard Law. Even though I grew up in Texas, I heard about Penn all of my life from my family and friends. If you choose to attend Penn (as my son does), you will meet plenty of Texans who will know about the college and who will be impressed with your credentials. If you decide to go to UT undergrad, you will be in great company with many Texans who think there is no other college they would ever consider attending, whether Ivy League or whatever, except for UT (my former partner felt that way). My point is that your goal should be to find a good college that you are comfortable with (whether in Texas or elsewhere) and make darn good grades. You should be able to then attend an equally prestigious law school.</p>