I’ve observed that truly affluent families are blasé about where their kids go to college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Billionaire ex-bf (family money, several generations old) went to Carlton.

Famous-name wealthy aunt went to SMU.

There're suckers too from rich families. Nothing surprising.

[Anonymous]

Agree with OP. Boarding school where the real social network is cemented, and college more a box to check.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There are absolutely rich people in Omaha, Milwaukee, Columbus, Birmingham and Detroit.

Of course.

I grew up in Milwaukee and the equivalent of this among the "Milwaukee elite" is Indiana University, CU Boulder, Miami of OH...

Interesting. I am originally from the Midwest, married a Midwesterner, and have lived on East coast now for nearly three decades. The elites in the Midwest cities I know (five across four states) want their kids at elite NE and CA schools as well as Duke, Emory, Vanderbilt. Some will end up at them - full pay geo diversity is still attractive - but some end up on PP's list.

I lived around the Midwest for decades. There are indeed a few people who want their kids to get a little Northeast polish. I lived in one rural town of 5000 where people were puzzled about kids going to Williams, Bates, & Smith. Those were true outliers. The more run-of-the-mill social climbers would pick Notre Dame, Northwestern, & Michigan.

I went to a New England slac. The richest people that I knew were from South Dakota and Wisconsin. They both spend a few years in Chicago post graduation, but have returned home to take over family businesses

The wealthiest person I knew at my NE law school was from South Dakota, and also planned to eventually head back to take over the family business. She was also very nice

No one had any idea the South Dakotan had any money at all. She was super down to earth. We figured it out when she asked for a ride to pick up her parents from the airport for a family weekend and it ended up one we hadn't heard of. Their jet gave it away.

[Anonymous]

There are rich kids at literally every top 100 LAC and top 100 university. Doesn't mean they will become friends with your kid though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:There are absolutely rich people in Omaha, Milwaukee, Columbus, Birmingham and Detroit.

These places have the old industrialist families. Old money wealth. DC doesn’t have this kind of family — there’s no industry here. There’s also professional wealth in these cities.

I’m from ny and went to school in Boston. There is definitely money in dc but it is often uptight money that isn’t even that much.

I do agree dc is where fun goes to die.

That is because DC is the place where reputation is everything. Career-ending scandals are fueled by photos and testimony about youthful acts that might get laughed off elsewhere or just get you shunned off church committees and the dinner party circuit.

[Anonymous]

We are not a rich family, so..

However fortunately, my kids are smart and intelligent, and I taught them to work hard.

[Anonymous]

They don't need it. Intergenerational wealth is their cushion and they already have social status so they aren't striving for anything.

Some of the most intense parents I've encountered that are focused on "winning" at achievement culture at all costs including their kids' mental health are first-generation successes who have money through high salaries only not passed down wealth (eg, lawyers) who are desperately trying to protect and safeguard their kids to maintain the same newly achieved "status".

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There are absolutely rich people in Omaha, Milwaukee, Columbus, Birmingham and Detroit.

Of course.

I grew up in Milwaukee and the equivalent of this among the "Milwaukee elite" is Indiana University, CU Boulder, Miami of OH...

Interesting. I am originally from the Midwest, married a Midwesterner, and have lived on East coast now for nearly three decades. The elites in the Midwest cities I know (five across four states) want their kids at elite NE and CA schools as well as Duke, Emory, Vanderbilt. Some will end up at them - full pay geo diversity is still attractive - but some end up on PP's list.

I lived around the Midwest for decades. There are indeed a few people who want their kids to get a little Northeast polish. I lived in one rural town of 5000 where people were puzzled about kids going to Williams, Bates, & Smith. Those were true outliers. The more run-of-the-mill social climbers would pick Notre Dame, Northwestern, & Michigan.

I went to a New England slac. The richest people that I knew were from South Dakota and Wisconsin. They both spend a few years in Chicago post graduation, but have returned home to take over family businesses

The wealthiest person I knew at my NE law school was from South Dakota, and also planned to eventually head back to take over the family business. She was also very nice

No one had any idea the South Dakotan had any money at all. She was super down to earth. We figured it out when she asked for a ride to pick up her parents from the airport for a family weekend and it ended up one we hadn't heard of. Their jet gave it away.

Some kids show up at state schools in the Midwest dressing & acting like everybody else. They drive an old pickup truck & study agriculture. Then you find out their family owns an enormous farm or ranch & they have more money than they know what to do with.

[Anonymous]

Yep, went to school with someone whose family owned a pro sports team and had no idea for almost a year.
They just want their kids to go wherever they'll be happy. The really high net worth families I know don't worry about expanding their network. They try to keep their circle pretty tight and small. On the other hand, those same people will also donate huge amounts of money if some name school is where their kid wants to go.

[Anonymous]

Yes, some rich people care less, some rich people pay 50 mil to get their kids to prestigious schools.
What'sthe news??

[Anonymous]

Right. Just like really rich people never buy expensive cars or clothes because it’s ostentatious.

Some do, some don’t. Who cares? How do their choices affect your life?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Also those are not the 'truly affluent'.

+1 can you imagine the ‘truly affluent’ sending their kid to Alabama. Op, the ‘truly affluent’ have very likely never been within 1,000 miles of Alabama

I am a New Yorker with kids in a top private and surrounded by billionaires and celebs. This is the truth. Their kids definitely go primarily to Ivies.

+1

[Anonymous]

I just read through this thread and it's pretty fascinating!

I'd love to know a bit more about the "caste" system of these rich families, their pecking order, etc.

Can anyone shed some more light, like what are the "criteria" on how ranking works?

[Anonymous]

I know lots of kids from hundred millionaire families that go to colleges many UMC DCUMs would frown upon. The UMC care a lot more about the status of a college than those who are already set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just read through this thread and it's pretty fascinating!

I'd love to know a bit more about the "caste" system of these rich families, their pecking order, etc.

Can anyone shed some more light, like what are the "criteria" on how ranking works?

It’s all about your family name and linage. Who settled the city, who was wealthy and powerful in the past - regardless of whether or not the family money is gone.

My FIL was NE bluebood but that means nothing to them either. You have to be local, generations back, and from money even if you’ve lost it all and just live off your lawyer paycheck. They will tolerate all kinds of bad behavior and not kick you out of their circle if you have the right family name. It’s….interesting.