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<p>Not in So Cal! In fact here it’s a Religion (which borders on being a cult). </p>
<p>“I worked with someone who went to Cornell College in Iowa. It’s probably the only school where a misunderstanding works in your favor.”</p>
<p>There’s a Columbia College in Chicago, too. Same thing.</p>
<p>I agree that people can’t always come up with a good chitchat reaction when they haven’t heard of a school, and may not mean to cast aspersions when they comment that they haven’t heard of it. It would be ideal if they could come up with something a little more neutral in tone, like, “What is he planning to study there?” or “You must be very proud!” But not everyone is great at thinking on their feet.</p>
<p>There is a big difference between the " (well) <em>I’ve</em> never heard of that school" and “(huh) I’ve never heard of that school.” </p>
<p>Well, sure. People can make it very clear that they’re being snide. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t always jump to that conclusion.</p>
<p>I agree don’t jump to that conclusion. </p>
<p>I’ll admit to my limitations. Having lived in the NE for years, I felt I knew all the colleges around there. I knew people from Reed, Oberlin, & Grinnell, and dozens of others. However, I didn’t know of Caltech or Harvey Mudd. When son was a junior, a postcard arrived from Caltech, mentioning a meeting 1 1/2 hours away. A Boston friend mentioned that my son would be a good fit for Caltech, so I suggested we go to the meeting. Little did I know that son would be pushed by GC to apply for UG 2 days before winter break that junior year. I wasn’t on CC then, and we were up late downloading LOR forms and putting together a list. CMU was on the list, because his math teacher mentioned it to him, but didn’t include Harvey Mudd, which would have been a terrific school for him. He was closed out of many colleges because he had passed the interview date. </p>
<p>He got lucky. It was no surprise to me that almost no one local knew of Caltech. His Principal wondered why he would go to a CA CC instead of UF. His pediatrician, 1 of brightest women I’ve met, was also clueless. So, son & I prepared ourselves to educate anyone who asked where he was going. </p>
<p>My knowledge about UGs has expanded exponentially since being on CC all these years. Now when I’m visiting a new city, I drive by the college and think, “Oh, that is where Thumper’s kid goes” and so on.</p>
<p>For Caltech, can’t you just say, “That’s where Sheldon, Leonard, and Amy teach?”</p>
<p>^ Or the school the TV Show Numbers was based on.</p>
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<p>I don’t understand why you are reading negativity into someone’s remark that they never heard of a school.</p>
<p>There are lots of schools and I am not personally familiar with all of them. If I say that I am not being negative. I’m being honest. You are adding a lot of negativity to a neutral comment.</p>
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<p>LOL. My son is at CWRU and he loves it there but NOBODY around here (Fort Lauderdale) has heard of it. He did get a really good job at a big bank this summer though! Apparently the bank has heard of it since he was recruited on campus.</p>
<p>It is great that you are proud of your son, but I would not take it personally when someone does not recognize it.</p>
<p>Instead, perhaps just say something positive about the school. You could say that it is a small, but nationally ranked liberal arts college that many people haven’t heard of because it is a division III school. Pulitzer prize winner Jon Meacham went to school there. </p>
<p>Then add that you are proud that your son was accepted into such a great college and that you think it is an excellent opportunity for him. </p>
<p>One of my kids went to a tiny single sex rural school, out of our region. Many hadn’t heard of it. Oh well, the student knew why they were going there and what it offered. My reply was always, “a LOT of people haven’t heard of it”. </p>
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<p>What about:</p>
<p>Indiana University [of Pennsylvania]
California [University of Pennsylvania]
Columbia (there are several others besides the University in the City of New York)
Notre Dame <a href=“a%20small%20school%20in%20California”>de Namur</a></p>
<p>Other similar names:</p>
<p>Boston [College or University]
Colorado [College or University of]
Chicago [State, University of Illinois at, or University of]
USC (South Carolina or Southern California; formerly also Santa Clara)
Xavier University (Cincinnati or New Orleans, both Catholic)
Loyola University (three of them; there are also Loyola Marymount and Marymount)</p>
<p>How many of the people who talk about the “Ivy League” can name all of the schools in the league, and can name what NCAA division that conference is in?</p>
<p>Ucbalumnus: I am going to guess about 3% of the populous can name the schools in the ivy league.</p>
<p>I’m in the camp that thinks the op shouldn’t read too much into it. But my response will always be “well, with 4,000 colleges and universities in the country I wouldn’t expect any one person to know about them all.” And if the kid is out of region you could add: " we’re excited and happy that blah-blah is going to get to experience another part of the country." Finally you can always answer the question “where is blah-blah going?” by answering the name of the state e.g. “Blah-blah is heading for a small college in insert state.” Really, if the person you are talking to isn’t familiar with the college what difference does it make? If they want to know more, they will ask. Most people are simply making polite conversation. </p>
<p>I’ve been asked
“where did you go to school?”
Me: “Auburn”
“Where’s that?”</p>
<p>I’ve been asked
“Where did you go to school?”
Me: “Auburn”
“That’s in Georgia right?”</p>
<p>Or
“They have a pretty good football team, right?”</p>
<p>So you can attend a big SEC sports school that plays for the football national championship and you’ll still find people who have never heard of or have no idea where it is. And no, Auburn University is not in Georgia :)</p>
<p>Or they might know its football team, but not know where it is. Other examples might be Notre Dame, Purdue, Clemson, Baylor.</p>
<p>And no, Auburn University is not in Georgia.</p>
<p>I understand this is a big deal to residents of the states in question, but from this distance, I don’t care that much. What difference does it actually make where Auburn or Clemson is, or really anyplace between New Orleans and Atlanta or Charleston. Granted, schools with geographical place names are easier to keep straight. But it’s not really a big deal whether some college is in rural Pennsylvania, rural New York, or rural Ohio, and being on the New Hampshire side of a river rather than the Vermont side does not tell you much that’s important about Dartmouth, other than whose governor has an ex officio board seat.</p>
<p>I couldn’t name all of the schools in the Big 10, the PAC 10, or the SEC, and most of those I could name would be guesses. I simply do not care about sports leagues. I have the idea that Clemson is SC’s equivalent of VA Tech or GA Tech, and that Auburn may be the same thing in another state, which by process of elimination is probably Alabama or Mississippi.</p>