Do mid-tier LACs lack name recognition?

[Anonymous]

Different types of schools offer different experiences.

Where would your kid thrive? I guess the thrust of this question is off base to me.

[Anonymous]

There are very few truly universal names. I always say “Northwestern in Chicago” because so many people don’t know.

[Anonymous]

Most “average Joe’s” also don’t know much about Michigan or Michigan State beyond football and basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think it depends on the LAC/SLAC and who you're talking to. I know all of these from colleagues who have gone to these schools (or now teach at these schools). They're not ones you hear about regularly outside of educated circles though.

OTOH the Seven Sisters schools are much more recognizable by a broader number of people. Heck, Vassar is often the college of choice for references in pop culture "I've had just about enough of your Vassar bashing young lady!" said Homer to Lisa....

Parent of a Vassar student here. That line is a favorite family joke. (Though DC never bashes the college!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m taking about schools ranked 30-60. Specifically schools like Dickinson, Denison, Occidental, Bucknell, Rhodes. I know they’re all in different regions, but I just want to if they have that sort of “name recognition” that an employer looks at when reviewing an application.

Sorry to be nit-picky.

Those are by no means "mid-tier" LACs. Anything ranked in that range will have excellent name recognition with employers, recruiters and graduate schools.

I’m the OP.
Yes, I have to agree, but some people have different versions of what mid tier is, that’s why I put the rough numbers of 30-60. Thank you for the input though

Even if you use the most conservative definition of an LAC, there are 228 LACs in the US, which would make calling 30-60 "mid tier" a stretch of mathematics and reason. Also, the lowest rank of the ones you listed is 46, and the highest is 34. Not mid-tier.

[Anonymous]

Just about ALL LACs lack general name recognition -- even the "top" ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think it depends on the LAC/SLAC and who you're talking to. I know all of these from colleagues who have gone to these schools (or now teach at these schools). They're not ones you hear about regularly outside of educated circles though.

OTOH the Seven Sisters schools are much more recognizable by a broader number of people. Heck, Vassar is often the college of choice for references in pop culture "I've had just about enough of your Vassar bashing young lady!" said Homer to Lisa....

Parent of a Vassar student here. That line is a favorite family joke. (Though DC never bashes the college!)

I was just going to say that! When my daughter was applying to LAC, people usually only recognized Vassar and Bryn Mawr. The other ones all got blank stares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are very few truly universal names. I always say “Northwestern in Chicago” because so many people don’t know.

That's mighty confusing since Northwestern is not actually in Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are very few truly universal names. I always say “Northwestern in Chicago” because so many people don’t know.

That's mighty confusing since Northwestern is not actually in Chicago.

Northwestern is indeed in a close-in suburb of Chicago.
Maybe you're thinking of Northeastern (in Boston)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are very few truly universal names. I always say “Northwestern in Chicago” because so many people don’t know.

That's mighty confusing since Northwestern is not actually in Chicago.

Northwestern is indeed in a close-in suburb of Chicago.
Maybe you're thinking of Northeastern (in Boston)?

I think PP was being pedantic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Among your average Joe, most SLACs will have zero name recognition. Zero. But to the people who hire the Joes of the world, govern the Joes of the world, and help direct the future of Joe's world on many different levels, yeah, they know. They'll know Williams. They'll know Grinnell. They'll know Oberlin.

Depends where you live, I think. I grew up in Colorado and even among the "elite"...Oberlin and Williams and Grinnell aren't exactly household names.

[Anonymous]

They tend to be domain specific. Lots of foreign service types know of Middlebury because of their language schools, etc. But no, the lady who plays bridge with your grandma isn't going to be impressed because your kid went to Bowdoin, and it's likely that if they're applying for jobs on the west coast there will be a fair number of people who have never heard of it, but who are very impressed by Reed College, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just about ALL LACs lack general name recognition -- even the "top" ones.

Who cares. That is not why most people pick their school, I would hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, a lot will depend on your family and child's peer group. Highly educated (PhDs, tippy top JD and MBA programs, etc.) circles will know about these schools. The rest, unless they happened to live within the close vicinity of those schools, will not.

I went to Ivies for undergrad and law school. I have hired applicants from or had friends who attended every school mentioned so far. They are all well-known amongst my peers. I guess I never thought about who else recognizes them or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Among your average Joe, most SLACs will have zero name recognition. Zero. But to the people who hire the Joes of the world, govern the Joes of the world, and help direct the future of Joe's world on many different levels, yeah, they know. They'll know Williams. They'll know Grinnell. They'll know Oberlin.

Depends where you live, I think. I grew up in Colorado and even among the "elite"...Oberlin and Williams and Grinnell aren't exactly household names.

Your concept of "elite" isn't exclusive enough. There are definitely circles even in Colorado where people know of these schools.