If you are a parent of someone in college or if you are a college student home for break, you’re bound to be asked “What school?”. Besides those who said "oh, I (or my son, daughter, husband, daughter, etc) went there, what kind of reply do you get from poeple. I’ve noticed that certain schools seem to elicit the same response from different people. At least that is how it seems to me. What have you found (for yourself or your kids)? What school and what response do you get?
wow, she must be smart! (guess the school). What do people say when they ask you?
“wvu” “ooh, I ve heard that’s a fun school”
that school is full of people like the cast of jersey shore
“Don’t you just love it there?” is a common reply.
University of Oklahoma:
- “Why Oklahoma?”
- “It’s pretty flat there isn’t it?”
- “Isn’t it freezing there right now?”
- “Oh they have a good football team. Do you go to the football games?”
“REALLY? Oh.” And then there is a look of pity. We do not care.
DS goes to a small, all-male college. In state we always hear, “Oh he must be smart”, or “:Is he going to be a lawyer?” but outside the state we get “Where” and “Why?” questions.
I’ve heard of such a school, MizzBee, just once, on a segment of a television news show. The one I saw profiled was small (tiny, actually), and the boys left there changed indeed. It was kind of remarkable.
I get (regarding my son): “Such a slacker.” (It is intended to be funny, so I stick-figure smile.)
My kid attends Harvard University. I mostly get 3 kinds of reactions:
From those who already know me and my kid: Good for her! She deserves it! You must be so proud!
From those who know me or my kid very casually: Harvard? No! Really? Are you kidding around? Jeez!
From those who have never really liked me or my kid: Hm! That must be pretty expensive. And then, since everyone in town knows roughly how much I make, they squint as if they’ve caught me embezzling or selling drugs.
Occasionally I hear: *Oh, Jimmy could have gone there, but he only applied to BYU./i
“Oh, where’s that?” LOL, the location is in the name of the school.
Love this thread
my son goes to middlebury and is a senior S2 starts there next year
where we live no one has ever heard of it, they always have a puzzled look on their face
my response is always its a high end academic, small liberal arts college
their response always is oh, I guess they are giving him lots of money for swimming
my wife and I get so excited when someone we talk to or come across has heard of it lol
So, what would you say back to “She must be smart”? It is the only response ever yet I lack a good reply beyond “Most students in college are.” I’ve considered “no not really. She cheated her way there.” or “We slipped admissions a twenty” or “Yeah, IQ in double digits”.
@lostaccount - “yes, it’s her genes”
fleischmo6,
I feel your pain! Our daughter was going to be a Middkid until she came off the waitlist at Harvard. It used to annoy me that so many people were not familiar with Middlebury. One of the top LAC’s in the country.
People are almost always gracious when they become aware of where our daughter goes to school. They are very supportive and interested in hearing about her experience there.
@lostaccount – you could shift focus to the hard work it took to qualify. I.e., “yes, she’s always been a very serious student and hard worker; I’m very proud of her.” When it comes down to it, there’s nothing wrong with being smart … but smart by itself doesn’t get anyone into an elite college.
Some people say “wow that school is so hard to get into!” Other people just look at me with a puzzled look and say “oh.”
“that’s far away”
It’s very cold.
How’s that California boy going to deal with all that snow?