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

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand what any of you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand what any of you are talking about.

Be thankful for that this holiday season.

[Anonymous]

While I’m sympathetic to OP’s concern that our yearning for linguistic shortcuts has inadvertently left her school out of a reference to highly selective LACs, I’m disappointed that her real motivation seems to be the inclusion of her school. Instead of being enlightened, OP turns out to be a snob begging for a ticket to the WASP party. Is that the typical Bowdoin product?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Agree. I hav followed a lot of college admissions sites for several years as my kids have been in the process and have only heard that acronym here.

[Anonymous]

How about PAWS-B?

[Anonymous]

I think it came about because Willams, Amherst, and Wesleyan are the official "little Ivies" but Wesleyan is not even close to #3. Swat is most consistently #3 so Willams, Amherst and Swat is the top grouping. I have no idea how Pomona was added but it does have a great reputation.

[Anonymous]

I know a few people my (old) age who attended Williams, Carleton, and a few others, and I'm aware that these are now very selective schools. I have only heard the acronym in this forum. But then, I don't have any particular interest in LACs, nor are they popular with most families I know (not in the DMV).

[Anonymous]

Curious - I could only Google Custom Search to 2005 here: https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/top-universities-vs-wasp/94774

Search for anything earlier than 2004 - nothing. Only 2005 and greater. It's not a DCUM thing.

[Anonymous]

Pronounced “waspy”:
WASP-B
WASP-B
WASP-B
Everybody now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pronounced “waspy”:
WASP-B
WASP-B
WASP-B
Everybody now!

No

B-WASP

[Anonymous]

People put WAY too much trust in rankings. There is no way that a magazine can accurately qualitatively differentiate among the top 10 liberal arts colleges. There are too many relevant variables to measure, & then they have to match up with each individual students’ needs & preferences. So even if they did measure all those variables accurately, the best school for a certain student might be the #8 school on the list. So don’t lose any sleep over not making into WASP. It’s all a load of Carlton, Reed, Amherst, Pomona.

[Anonymous]

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

I do not think that word means what you think it does.

(In context.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People put WAY too much trust in rankings. There is no way that a magazine can accurately qualitatively differentiate among the top 10 liberal arts colleges. There are too many relevant variables to measure, & then they have to match up with each individual students’ needs & preferences. So even if they did measure all those variables accurately, the best school for a certain student might be the #8 school on the list. So don’t lose any sleep over not making into WASP. It’s all a load of Carlton, Reed, Amherst, Pomona.

Well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I’m sympathetic to OP’s concern that our yearning for linguistic shortcuts has inadvertently left her school out of a reference to highly selective LACs, I’m disappointed that her real motivation seems to be the inclusion of her school. Instead of being enlightened, OP turns out to be a snob begging for a ticket to the WASP party. Is that the typical Bowdoin product?

I (OP) have already stated I am just bemused by the whole concept of ‘WASP’ rather than “begging for a ticket” to anything.

Maybe the facetiousness of my earlier comment about “our failing” wasn’t obvious (this was my only comment btw, in case you are misattributing someone else’s words to me) but no, I am not actually upset that we are excluded from this special club haha

I have worked on the east coast in a snobby industry for over a decade since I graduated, and my school is recognized plenty enough to satisfy me!

[Anonymous]

WASP pre-dates The Preppy Handbook