<p>It sounds defensive to me, and also sounds like you’re slightly ashamed of the school. Be proud and say just “Indiana University.” It’s a good school; there’s nothing to apologize for.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose daughter was accepted to Cal, UCSD, and Cal Poly SLO, but turned them all down for UC Santa Cruz, Regents Program.</p>
<p>^UCSC --great school! I used to work there. Terrific faculty, and lots of opportunities for students to do research, etc.</p>
<p>It doesn’t bother me at all when people mention that their kid is in the honors program at a particular college, any more than it does when someone says their kid is going to be playing in the orchestra or on the tennis team. It simply gives a bit of insight into the experience the student is going to be having.</p>
<p>Sometimes I think people have a hard time remembering that other people’s choices are not about them, and don’t make our own choices any better or worse. :)</p>
<p>I think would mention it if the honors college admission had a real impact on what her school life would be like or even to invite questions about the honors program if it offered unique opportunities. </p>
<p>For instance, IIRC, being a Hutton Scholar at Indiana has a residential component, EC opportunities, study abroad, etc., etc. I read a description of ASU’s Barrett Honors College, and I want to sign up myself—truly a school within a school. OTOH, being a James scholar at Illinois gets you…well, for most, not much more than an extra line on your diploma. (BTDT)</p>
<p>I have to admit when people include honors college as part of the college description that it sounds a bit defensive to me, like they want you to know that they are above the rabble in the regular program. ;)</p>
<p>“linden, it’s actually INELASTIC demand you are referring to.” THANKS. I went to public schools my whole like and graduated from a second tier college, so I struggle with some of these elementary concepts. I made sure my daughters attended privates and will only be going to top tier universities.</p>
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<p>I live in suburban Philadelphia, within about a half-hour of both Swarthmore and Haverford, an hour or so from Muhlenberg, Lafayette and Lehigh, two hours from Franklin & Marshall and Dickinson, et al. When I compared Carleton, Grinnell and Macalester to Swarthmore and Haverford, I mostly got blank stares. Not sure if it was because these folks weren’t familiar with them or thought I was a lunatic for letting my son apply to any LAC!</p>
<p>I grew up in this region, and when I was accepted to Penn 35 years ago, my classmates all asked me, “Main campus or Lima?” Seriously, it’s a VERY small percentage of your fellow Americans who know of or give a rat’s patootie about any of these selective colleges. </p>
<p>I, too, mention the honors college and the amazing scholarships if people ask me why he chose Bama over Penn State and some other more selective schools. Most folks are happy for him and tell me they think he made a great choice. Even the folks of a lot of his classmates headed to Ivies and other tony privates. Maybe they’re just being nice, but I think a lot of successful people know there is more than one way to skin a cat.</p>
<p>Perhaps they also will out-achieve you in charm. One can hope, anyway. </p>
<p>Most smart people thrive wherever they go to school. The research has borne this out for years. Also, it’s possible to learn all kinds of things with an internet search or a trip to the library. In general, I don’t make proclamations about things I don’t understand. I’d recommend you do the same.</p>
<p>You know, linden, a lot of the schools mentioned in this thread are private top tier schools. Hang around CC for a while and you’ll learn a lot. A school’s name recognition isn’t always synonymous with quality, or a predictor of success, or a guarantee for happiness. </p>
<p>And, I think SomeOldGuy made a very astute observation.</p>
<p>“Oldest crossed off all publics except the elite 4: Mich, Uva, Berkeley and UCLA. It was very easy to detect that the bottom 25% at the other publics was a sad bunch. The quality control is lacking when you have to fill each year with several thousand students. The elite students there can shine anywhere, but you still have to share campus with the slackers who crawled in.”</p>
<p>This is linden202’s latest post in another thread, I think we can safely assume we have a ■■■■■ trying to whip us up.</p>
<p>I’d just like to assure those parents and students who aren’t going to the so-called “famous-name” schools that there is only a VERY small number of schools which really are widely known. Like aside from the ones that are widely known because they are huge in sports AND have geography in the name (eg. Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, UCLA, Florida), the only ones I think are really really widely known are Harvard, Notre Dame, and maybe West Point. Duke, Northwestern, Vandy, Berkeley, Stanford, Virginia, NYU, Columbia, Dartmouth, and other “famous” schools all get their share of puzzled looks from friends and relatives…it’s not just the confusing ones like Williams, Case Western Reserve, and Wash U. St. Louis that get the “Where’s that?” and “Why not STATE U?”</p>
<p>@moooop, Re “Duke, Northwestern, Vandy, Berkeley, Stanford, Virginia, NYU, Columbia, Dartmouth, and other “famous” schools all get their share of puzzled looks from friends and relatives.”</p>
<p>You can’t pick your relatives and I’ll admit that we are a bit college obsessed on CC, but I would upgrade my friends if those names elicited puzzled looks.
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<p>ETA: well, maybe Northwestern and Vandy :)</p>
<p>I’m not sure if Vandy and Northwestern should be included in the list of “famous” schools. Don’t get me wrong both are amazing universities, but they really aren’t the school who’s reputation surpasses geographic, cultural, or industrial boundaries.
Very few schools have this type of name brand recognition -HYPS- and even then these famous names aren’t well known everywhere in the US. Other schools are very well regarded in certain geographic areas -a lot of the LACs mentioned on this thread- but virtually unknown in other regions. Still more are well regarded for a specific major, but, once again, draw blank looks from those not associated with that profession. </p>
<p>Even people within the same city can be unfamiliar with a college. I was interviewing for a job in NYC, and the woman in the personnel office looked at my resume, and said “so, you went to . . . Barnard . . .Baruch college?” I smiled, and said “Barnard.” She remained confused and kept repeating “Barnard Baruch.”</p>
<p>I think that while there are catty people out there, most want to learn & be informed. I have said that ,too, in hopes of learning about some fabulous little gem out there :)</p>
<p>@LucieThelakie, I think the analogy works where I live because we have a smaller number of LACs (smaller number of colleges in general) than the northeast does, and the majority of the grads from St. Olaf end up in the Twin Cities (so lots of people know someone who went there). So most of the time it seems to click with people. </p>