Social Divide at SLACs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It exists at Wesleyan, but because Wes is bigger than most other SLACs, I think it’s less pronounced. My (extremely non-athlete) kid is dating an athlete. The places where I’ve heard it’s particularly pronounced—Amherst, Williams—are ~2000 students, vs. 3000+ at Wes.

Wesleyan is the absolute worst with social cliques and divide btw athletes and non athletes. Athletes party with each other, but i guess if someone is “dating” an athlete they will be included in that social circle

[Anonymous]

Carleton has a football team.

Ah! My mistake. FWIW, I’ve not heard people talk about an athlete/non divide there, which is why I made that assumption but should have checked.

I have a non-athlete at Carleton and there is no divide according to her. My junior has roomed with varsity athletes and some of her best friends are athletes. There are at least a few sports where the coach does not permit teammates to live together. Other sports do have houses where students live together. There are parties that start off as team parties and then open to everyone. My kid's friend group is a total mix of athletes (from a few sports) and non-athletes.

[Anonymous]

To the extent that athletic participation may correlate with other social aspects, these may be good schools to include in your search:

Lots of Race/Class Interaction | The Princeton Review https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/?rankings=lots-race-class-interaction

These may be good schools to avoid:

Colleges with Little Race Class Interaction | The Princeton Review https://share.google/LYp1AqKrJBO87jPuW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My SLAC DS who was an athlete dated a non athlete and had lots of non athlete friends. Why are you looking for a problem?

40% freshman athlete. What could possibly be a problem?

Athletes are the minority, should they be worried?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s a legit question. My DC senior who is not an athlete has spent the past year looking at the issue. His older sister is an athlete in college and had an instant friend group and has warned him that the divide exists.

In my opinion the larger the SLAC the less pronounced the divide is. So the PPs comments on Wesleyan is accurate.

Looking at larger SLACs we have divided it between schools that have a Greek system (Colgate and Lafayette as examples) and those that do not (Middlebury and Wesleyan).

The Greek schools offer a different avenue to an easy friend group, but we are leaning toward the latter. DS as he said just wants to find an easy to have a social life so that part of college is not a struggle because the academics will be enough of a challenge.

So lean toward larger SLACs and decide how you feel about a Greek system, in particular one where people live in the houses.

My daughter is an athlete at Williams. Her best friend (freshman roommate) is a non athlete and her last boyfriend was also a NARP. This is only an issue on DCUM.

That’s great for your athlete daughter and her roommate. But it is in fact something that kids who are not athletes in these remote location schools can experience and have to deal with.

The fact you use the term NARP highlights, yes, there is an issue at williams.

[Anonymous]

I think it is terrible at most NESCAC schools -- I know this from Hamilton, Bates, and Midd alums personally, and assume it is similar at most other campuses... maybe not Tufts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is terrible at most NESCAC schools -- I know this from Hamilton, Bates, and Midd alums personally, and assume it is similar at most other campuses... maybe not Tufts.

Son at one of these schools and can confirm. It seems like the people who are saying it’s not an issue are parents of athletes or women who are dating athletes…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It exists at amherst but hasn't impacted my experience much

+1 this is what my narp DS says

[Anonymous]

At Holy Cross the social divide between athletes/non-athletes is minimal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Holy Cross the social divide between athletes/non-athletes is minimal

Who cares about Holy Cross

[Anonymous]

Lots of highly educated successful well rounded people care about Holy Cross. Obviously you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s a legit question. My DC senior who is not an athlete has spent the past year looking at the issue. His older sister is an athlete in college and had an instant friend group and has warned him that the divide exists.

In my opinion the larger the SLAC the less pronounced the divide is. So the PPs comments on Wesleyan is accurate.

Looking at larger SLACs we have divided it between schools that have a Greek system (Colgate and Lafayette as examples) and those that do not (Middlebury and Wesleyan).

The Greek schools offer a different avenue to an easy friend group, but we are leaning toward the latter. DS as he said just wants to find an easy to have a social life so that part of college is not a struggle because the academics will be enough of a challenge.

So lean toward larger SLACs and decide how you feel about a Greek system, in particular one where people live in the houses.

My daughter is an athlete at Williams. Her best friend (freshman roommate) is a non athlete and her last boyfriend was also a NARP. This is only an issue on DCUM.

That’s great for your athlete daughter and her roommate. But it is in fact something that kids who are not athletes in these remote location schools can experience and have to deal with.

I use NARP because they use NARP and they don’t consider it negative in any way. Kids struggling to find their people happens everywhere and it has nothing to do with the jets and the sharks nonsense that we see here on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is terrible at most NESCAC schools -- I know this from Hamilton, Bates, and Midd alums personally, and assume it is similar at most other campuses... maybe not Tufts.

I can say from first hand experience at one of the schools you just mentioned that you are completely wrong.

[Anonymous]

If kids are good athletes they are going Ivy then Patriot League unless squash or fencing at Williams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If kids are good athletes they are going Ivy then Patriot League unless squash or fencing at Williams.

What in the hell is the patriot league? It definitely isn't where students are going.