WASP? Is this a real thing, or recent construction?

[Anonymous]

I just discovered this forum today and out of curiosity searched up what ''DC Urban Moms and Dads" had to say about my alma mater - Bowdoin. While gratifyingly, most reviews are glowing (and I can attest to the wonderful education & career outcome I received!), it was to my great surprise to find that it is apparently viewed as a tier below this so-called 'WASP' collection of schools.

Not salty at all, just very confused - in all my years on this planet, I have NEVER heard 'WASP' referenced. And I work among many graduates of such schools and volunteer to interview Bowdoin applicants every year (I ask them about what other schools they are considering)!

Hence my question: how long has this 'WASP' grouping existed, and is it even meaningful?

I confess that I may just be ignorant because I come from a California public school background and did my college search independently without referencing any online forums (just went down US News LAC list and did research on each school). I was the only kid in my HS class to apply to LACs and college counselor/immigrant parents only knew Ivy League/UCs etc, so nobody around me had any idea either.

I do recognize that Williams & Amherst are consistently #1/2 in the rankings, but I had always thought Swarthmore/Pomona were more or less equivalent to Bowdoin. The year I applied to college, Pomona & Bowdoin were tied and I don't think Bowdoin has ever fallen out of the top 6-7 LACs... so I guess if you would want to rephrase, my question is.. are S/P truly perceived as qualitatively 'better' than B? Or does did WASP arise simply because it is a funny (and somewhat fitting) acronym?

FWIW in recent years there seems to have appeared a new 'official' association called 'Six Colleges' that includes WASP + Bowdoin and Carleton, so why aren't people using that?

Answers appreciated! And in exchange, I suppose I can answer any questions you people may have for a young-ish Bowdoin graduate.

[Anonymous]

It's really nothing more than an acronym. And the 'B' doesn't fit. What are you going to do W, S, B, P, and A?

The B has to go.

[Anonymous]

CMC is also rising fast. Then we will have to add a C to the acronym. WASPBC?

I think the reason for WASP is based purely on the endowment size. WASP have the largest endowment in the lac world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just discovered this forum today and out of curiosity searched up what ''DC Urban Moms and Dads" had to say about my alma mater - Bowdoin. While gratifyingly, most reviews are glowing (and I can attest to the wonderful education & career outcome I received!), it was to my great surprise to find that it is apparently viewed as a tier below this so-called 'WASP' collection of schools.

Not salty at all, just very confused - in all my years on this planet, I have NEVER heard 'WASP' referenced. And I work among many graduates of such schools and volunteer to interview Bowdoin applicants every year (I ask them about what other schools they are considering)!

Hence my question: how long has this 'WASP' grouping existed, and is it even meaningful?

I confess that I may just be ignorant because I come from a California public school background and did my college search independently without referencing any online forums (just went down US News LAC list and did research on each school). I was the only kid in my HS class to apply to LACs and college counselor/immigrant parents only knew Ivy League/UCs etc, so nobody around me had any idea either.

I do recognize that Williams & Amherst are consistently #1/2 in the rankings, but I had always thought Swarthmore/Pomona were more or less equivalent to Bowdoin. The year I applied to college, Pomona & Bowdoin were tied and I don't think Bowdoin has ever fallen out of the top 6-7 LACs... so I guess if you would want to rephrase, my question is.. are S/P truly perceived as qualitatively 'better' than B? Or does did WASP arise simply because it is a funny (and somewhat fitting) acronym?

FWIW in recent years there seems to have appeared a new 'official' association called 'Six Colleges' that includes WASP + Bowdoin and Carleton, so why aren't people using that?

Answers appreciated! And in exchange, I suppose I can answer any questions you people may have for a young-ish Bowdoin graduate.

The term WASP likely came about in the sixties when various magazines started commenting on top schools. The term SWAMP (WASP plus Middlebury) has also been around for quite awhile showing up 15-20 years ago at least. Bowdoin is every bit as good as any of these schools, there is no significant difference among any of them except for the size of their endowments.

The top 8 schools (same size group as the Ivy league) over a 35 year average are:
1. Williams
2. Amherst
3. Swarthmore
4. Wellesley
5. Pomona
6. Bowdoin
7. Middlebury
8. Carleton

Ths "six colleges" association is just a group of top SLACs who hold common information sessions together based on them (like all top SLACs) be of interest to a certain type of student.

[Anonymous]

I see, so our failing is that our name starts with an awkward letter. Tragic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see, so our failing is that our name starts with an awkward letter. Tragic

Pretty much….when SWAMP came about Middlebury was consistently ranked 4-7 and an easy word was available. Not so much for a ‘B’.

[Anonymous]

BAWMPS

[Anonymous]

few care about LACs outside this forum. wasp in particular are struggling to attract top talent as the future is more stem focused

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CMC is also rising fast. Then we will have to add a C to the acronym. WASPBC?

I think the reason for WASP is based purely on the endowment size. WASP have the largest endowment in the lac world.

cmc is not a full service lac. it's specialized for some subjects and their new science experiment is subpar so far.

so it's really not on the same plane as Wasp. I'd put cmc below bowdoin, wellesley, and carleton too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:few care about LACs outside this forum. wasp in particular are struggling to attract top talent as the future is more stem focused

exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just discovered this forum today and out of curiosity searched up what ''DC Urban Moms and Dads" had to say about my alma mater - Bowdoin. While gratifyingly, most reviews are glowing (and I can attest to the wonderful education & career outcome I received!), it was to my great surprise to find that it is apparently viewed as a tier below this so-called 'WASP' collection of schools.

Not salty at all, just very confused - in all my years on this planet, I have NEVER heard 'WASP' referenced. And I work among many graduates of such schools and volunteer to interview Bowdoin applicants every year (I ask them about what other schools they are considering)!

Hence my question: how long has this 'WASP' grouping existed, and is it even meaningful?

I confess that I may just be ignorant because I come from a California public school background and did my college search independently without referencing any online forums (just went down US News LAC list and did research on each school). I was the only kid in my HS class to apply to LACs and college counselor/immigrant parents only knew Ivy League/UCs etc, so nobody around me had any idea either.

I do recognize that Williams & Amherst are consistently #1/2 in the rankings, but I had always thought Swarthmore/Pomona were more or less equivalent to Bowdoin. The year I applied to college, Pomona & Bowdoin were tied and I don't think Bowdoin has ever fallen out of the top 6-7 LACs... so I guess if you would want to rephrase, my question is.. are S/P truly perceived as qualitatively 'better' than B? Or does did WASP arise simply because it is a funny (and somewhat fitting) acronym?

FWIW in recent years there seems to have appeared a new 'official' association called 'Six Colleges' that includes WASP + Bowdoin and Carleton, so why aren't people using that?

Answers appreciated! And in exchange, I suppose I can answer any questions you people may have for a young-ish Bowdoin graduate.

The term WASP likely came about in the sixties when various magazines started commenting on top schools. The term SWAMP (WASP plus Middlebury) has also been around for quite awhile showing up 15-20 years ago at least. Bowdoin is every bit as good as any of these schools, there is no significant difference among any of them except for the size of their endowments.

The top 8 schools (same size group as the Ivy league) over a 35 year average are:
1. Williams
2. Amherst
3. Swarthmore
4. Wellesley
5. Pomona
6. Bowdoin
7. Middlebury
8. Carleton

Ths "six colleges" association is just a group of top SLACs who hold common information sessions together based on them (like all top SLACs) be of interest to a certain type of student.

+1

[Anonymous]

I am late 50s and I've been hearing the term "WASP" since it was leveled at me in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:few care about LACs outside this forum. wasp in particular are struggling to attract top talent as the future is more stem focused

exactly

That makes no sense. All these colleges have plenty of good science and math classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am late 50s and I've been hearing the term "WASP" since it was leveled at me in middle school.

At you? We are not talking about the “White Anglo-Saxon Protestant” meaning of WASP. And yes that meaning has been around a very long time.

[Anonymous]

I have only heard that acronym used here, and only recently. I have a senior at S, who has told me it's not a "thing," so perhaps a DCUM parent coined it.