<p>“For what it’s worth, Condi Rice got her BS and PhD from University of Denver plus a Masters from Notre Dame. She’s been on the faculty at Stanford though.” </p>
<p>Nobody here claimed she attended Stanford as a student. One of the points I was getting at was that if you asked a layman to identify some people associated with Stanford’s academics (as student, professor, whatever), he’d be lucky to come up with even those I mentioned, whereas he/she might be able to name quite a few more athletes and coaches.</p>
<p>“A great majority of people I’ve ever run into, from all walks of life, are aware of almost all of the Ivies and Stanford, MIT, and possibly Duke. Schools like Chicago, Rice, and WashU do fall under the radar I believe.”</p>
<p>Slipper, I think you and Alexandre ahd ewho must run into a lot less laymen in a typical day than people like phuriku, Applicannot, and I do.</p>
<p>@ phuriku: Just like UChicago, Rice is not that well known in Ohio. Many of my high school teachers didn’t even know where it was. However, I also have a similar story as yours. When I was purchasing items for my dorm, the store clerk at Bed Bath and Beyond asked where I was going to school. I told her Rice, and then she asked “why are you going to such an elite school?” I was shocked that she knew about it.</p>
<p>Regarding Duke, I believe it gained its nationwide reputation by its basketball program and medical/business/law schools. A lot of “laymen” that know Duke know its a prestigious school, but I don’t think Duke would be as well known nationally without its renowned basketball program.</p>
<p>Schmaltz, I suppose it depends what one means by “laymen”. To me, I would be referring to the non-elite but relatively educated. In other words, not the top 5% of the population (educationally speaking), but not the bottom 35% of the population either.</p>
This can be said about Harvard and Yale too. Actually my S went to Stanford, along with three schoolmates, from Michigan. He and the other went after giving up Yale. Well, they are not laymen though, they are straight A students at Stanford.</p>
You’ve been on CC for 2 1/2 years and that finally occurred to you? :p</p>
<p>As I said several months ago,</p>
<p>CC without endless prestige debates would be like sitcoms without laugh tracks. A great deal quieter and undoubtedly better off, but a very different thing indeed.</p>
<p>Anyone who knows about Stanford athletics knows about Stanford academics. Most people who know about Stanford academics know little to nothing about Stanford athletics.</p>
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<p>The “laymen” you run into must be a lot dumber than the “laymen” that the Gallup Poll surveyed:</p>
<p>“Clearly, the prestige of Harvard (and to a lesser degree Yale and Stanford) is fairly universal across regions of the country.”</p>
<p>But the average “lay” prestige of Harvard doesn’t mean anything. It’s not based on rigorous understanding of their academics and opportunities – it’s based on simple, reductionist, someone-has-to-be-the-best-and-Harvard-got-that-name-early-on.</p>
<p>Look, ask the average person what’s the best painting in the world – he’ll say the Mona Lisa. Why? Is it based on painting technique, subject matter, technical expertise, importance of the painter at that point in time, etc.? Nope – it’s because somewhere along the way something was needed to fill the role of “greatest painting” and the Mona Lisa is it. It’s the same thing with Harvard.</p>
<p>Now, this is not taking away from Harvard in any way, shape or form. It IS a great university, one of the greatest. But the fact that “lay people think it so” isn’t why.</p>
<p>Listen, if “lay prestige” is so unimportant to you, why do you keep clicking on this thread? And why do you keep telling other CC members what they should or shouldn’t talk about?</p>
<p>Although I did participate in this thread before, I am going to agree with Pizzagirl… for the most part, this is not a very useful discussion. Then again, I guess not everything has to be… then CC would be too perfect… and boring!</p>
<p>“Anyone who knows about Stanford athletics knows about Stanford academics.”</p>
<p>One of the most obviously false statements I’ve seen on CC, especially given the comments of phuriku and applicannot. Ok, we get it, Prodigalson and ewho, you hang with a lot of rich and/or snobby people, never drink domestic beer, and wear a Rolex. Wow.</p>
<p>Some of the people I hang with are rich and/or snobby; most aren’t. None are ignorant, however. </p>
<p>You’re right, I never drink domestic beer; but then again I am a teetotaller so I don’t drink any alcohol at all. I do not wear a Rolex or any other watch, for that matter; I use my cell phone as my timekeeper.</p>
<p>^My friends from Ohio who chose Duke over Penn, Cornell, and Northwestern would beg to differ lol.</p>
<p>Why are prestige debates incessant on CC sigh. And besides, if anything, this is flawed and obviously not by region but by personal taste. I’m from California and none of the ones I have seen who claim to also be from CA seem accurate; and as my previous example states, it doesn’t work for “Ohio” either.</p>