"Socially Competitive" Colleges

[Anonymous]

what do students mean when they say a college is exhaustingly socially competitive?

I saw that mentioned in these threads about Vanderbilt and I'm not sure what it means:
(https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/ismii9/vanderbilt_vibe_check_provided/) and https://www.reddit.com/r/Vanderbilt/comments/1gqsqr8/what_type_of_person_is_right_for_vandy/

What are examples of socially competitive colleges and universities?

[Anonymous]

Lots are. I know parents who have described SMU that way, and UVA. Others say UVA is more preprofessional/club competition, not social.

[Anonymous]

All are if you're trying to run in certain circles. At the same time, you can be happy at the schools listed as socially competitive even if you opt out of that particular rat race

[Anonymous]

Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

So it’s a competitiveness in a social context, not academically? Competitive to be friends with the right people kind of thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

That sounds really sad.

[Anonymous]

Schools I’m personally familiar with: SMU. Carlton. Tulane to a certain extent.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown, UCLA and Berkeley — brutal club competitiveness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools I’m personally familiar with: SMU. Carlton. Tulane to a certain extent.

What's socially competitive about Carlton? I've always heard its students are smart but quirky and individualistic. Basically the opposite of an SMU/Vandy/UMiami social environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

So it’s a competitiveness in a social context, not academically? Competitive to be friends with the right people kind of thing?

Yes. But a “friends with the right people kind of thing” affects access to important clubs, activities, etc, which is how a lot of people get the right jobs, and then move up in the world. For the rest of their lives. So it’s more than who they hang out with on Saturday. If you aren’t an extreme climber, professionally or socially, this doesn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

So it’s a competitiveness in a social context, not academically? Competitive to be friends with the right people kind of thing?

yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools I’m personally familiar with: SMU. Carlton. Tulane to a certain extent.

What's socially competitive about Carlton? I've always heard its students are smart but quirky and individualistic. Basically the opposite of an SMU/Vandy/UMiami social environment.

A lot of very, very wealthy “smart but quirky.” Not like SMU at all, but its own weird thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

So it’s a competitiveness in a social context, not academically? Competitive to be friends with the right people kind of thing?

Yes. But a “friends with the right people kind of thing” affects access to important clubs, activities, etc, which is how a lot of people get the right jobs, and then move up in the world. For the rest of their lives. So it’s more than who they hang out with on Saturday. If you aren’t an extreme climber, professionally or socially, this doesn’t matter.

Is it really that serious though?
You make it sound like it will dramatically impact the course of your life - if you pick a school that’s socially competitive and you aren’t able to manage the grind and the sharp elbowed-ness and compete?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn.

At a lot of top schools, kids arrive having been rock stars at their high school. A lot are immediately prepared to try to run everything in college, too, but it's just not possible when there are so many Type A kids in one place.

Fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, etc., are inherently competitive to get into.

Sometimes parties are hard to get into -- you have to know someone.

So it’s a competitiveness in a social context, not academically? Competitive to be friends with the right people kind of thing?

Yes. But a “friends with the right people kind of thing” affects access to important clubs, activities, etc, which is how a lot of people get the right jobs, and then move up in the world. For the rest of their lives. So it’s more than who they hang out with on Saturday. If you aren’t an extreme climber, professionally or socially, this doesn’t matter.

Is it really that serious though?
You make it sound like it will dramatically impact the course of your life - if you pick a school that’s socially competitive and you aren’t able to manage the grind and the sharp elbowed-ness and compete?

It will dramatically impact your life if you can compete.

Failing to compete will only close doors if you are looking to enter certain doors, and don’t have any other keys.

[Anonymous]

A lifetime of being with people who are superficial