Do students at universities form social groups based on family income levels?

[Anonymous]

For example, do wealthy students often stick together — they tend to hang out on luxury private islands and build their own exclusive networks?

[Anonymous]

Lol, no.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For example, do wealthy students often stick together — they tend to hang out on luxury private islands and build their own exclusive networks?

In my observation as the parent of 2 college kids at 2 pretty different schools - YES.

[Anonymous]

From what I’ve observed in private high schools, this is already happening. The reason is simple — not everyone can afford to travel frequently in business class or travel overseas like Switzerland or Australia for a ski meet up trip

[Anonymous]

This depends on the kid as much as the school. First gen low-SES kids who attend a summer program in advance of freshman year, to connect with others in a similar position, may have a tendency to hang together.

At my kids' schools, it isn't necessarily obvious which kids are at which levels of wealth. Extra costs like eating out and ubers would be the main clue. You can't necessarily tell by the way a kid dresses; depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Yes, there is some segregation based on ability to pay for certain experiences. Can your kid pay their way at Coachella for example? Can they go at all? What level? Car camping or hotel stay? GE admission or VIP? That kind of stuff. It’s not all the time for all groups and clubs. But certain things. Spring break for example is another one.

[Anonymous]

Ime yes. I was a Mc kid at a wealthy school. I drove home 12 hours for spring break. Some of the people I know chartered a private plans to fly to a tropical island. That sort of thing. It wasn’t always easy.

[Anonymous]

At my DCs school, the rich kids rent nice apartments off campus to avoid having to slum it in a dorm with the low lifes.

some lower income kids also rent apartments off campus to spend less on housing than the dorms cost.... But those are not nice apartments.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been thinking a lot about what 'prestige' really means in college admissions. From what I’ve observed, many mc parents are fixated on elite private schools — likely because they want to feel part of an exclusive group, and are drawn to features like smaller student-to-teacher ratios. But when it comes to actual education quality, there’s no significant difference between top public and private schools. What really sets these elite institutions apart is the concentration of wealth, which creates the illusion of prestige. Ironically, though, middle-class students often can’t afford to participate in the exclusive networks and activities of their wealthier peers.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but if all your friends are in the broad middle class you might not notice. The categories are very large. You're probably not going to socialize with the kid who has access to a private jet and helicopters. That person will include whoever their roommates are, perhaps, but most of their circle will also be composed of rich kids who understand what that life is like.

[Anonymous]

It happens….some can afford concerts, spring break trips, nicer apartments and fancy dinners out. I don’t think it completely precludes larger and more diverse friend groups, but tighter cliques do form as a result of income levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been thinking a lot about what 'prestige' really means in college admissions. From what I’ve observed, many mc parents are fixated on elite private schools — likely because they want to feel part of an exclusive group, and are drawn to features like smaller student-to-teacher ratios. But when it comes to actual education quality, there’s no significant difference between top public and private schools. What really sets these elite institutions apart is the concentration of wealth, which creates the illusion of prestige. Ironically, though, middle-class students often can’t afford to participate in the exclusive networks and activities of their wealthier peers.

A so-called elite school can actually be cheaper because they are able to offer significant aid even to middle class students. That is absolutely one of the reasons they are so competitive. And then the financial burden of paying tuition exists for every college from the bottom to the top.. so people want to use that money to go to the highest quality institution they can access.

[Anonymous]

People often say that attending elite private institutions helps middle-class students build a network that will lead to better job opportunities. But I'm not so sure that's true. From what I’ve seen on Reddit, the common complaint is that wealthy students already have internships or job offers lined up before graduation — and their networks tend to stay exclusive to their own circles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been thinking a lot about what 'prestige' really means in college admissions. From what I’ve observed, many mc parents are fixated on elite private schools — likely because they want to feel part of an exclusive group, and are drawn to features like smaller student-to-teacher ratios. But when it comes to actual education quality, there’s no significant difference between top public and private schools. What really sets these elite institutions apart is the concentration of wealth, which creates the illusion of prestige. Ironically, though, middle-class students often can’t afford to participate in the exclusive networks and activities of their wealthier peers.

A so-called elite school can actually be cheaper because they are able to offer significant aid even to middle class students. That is absolutely one of the reasons they are so competitive. And then the financial burden of paying tuition exists for every college from the bottom to the top.. so people want to use that money to go to the highest quality institution they can access.

I still don't see a significant financial advantage in attending a private elite university over a state flagship. The only real difference I’ve noticed is greater access to faculty (student/teacher ratio)