"Bro quotient" high and low?

[Anonymous]

Put Harvard and MIT into the high to mid bro group. Like I said earlier, MIT parties extremely hard, even though there are some nerdy kids there. There are more non-nerdy students than nerdy students. Both Harvard and MIT kids go to the parties of the surrounding schools, like Wellesley, BC, BU, and Tufts. Harvard has a bunch of extremely preppy legacies that are coming from boarding schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a weird topic for a parent to bring up OP. Are you a college student?

I'm sure OP is the helicopter parent of a college student-to-be.

[Anonymous]

Low "bro quotient":
Smith
Wellesley
Mount Holyoke
Barnard
Bryn Mawr

[Anonymous]

As the parent of two young men, one a current college student and the other a recent grad, I have to point out that the critical nuance that many PPs are missing here is what the NPR piece -- which initially came to my attention via my sons -- so incisively sets forth: the multi-dimensionality of bro-ishness. Not all bros are fungible, backward baseball cap-wearing, keg-partying frat boys; note the various bro-ishness vectors depicted in the Venn diagram, which suggests greater variability within the bro culture.

As an example, my sons, who are graduates of a local day school and therefore moderately preppy, but who would never wear backwards baseball caps and, who, in fact, used this sartorial element as a litmus test on college tours, ruling out schools where the rally cap look was prevalent, nonetheless qualify as bros because, as varsity athletes in HS and college, they rate high on the jockishness scale, and, despite having chosen to attend a college without fraternities, they looove hangin' with their bro-pals and thus, also have a very high dudeliness quotient. (Sadly, their stonerdude-ness is virtually non-existent, despite being the first generation born outside of California on my mother's side of the family.)

[Anonymous]

You've nailed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of two young men, one a current college student and the other a recent grad, I have to point out that the critical nuance that many PPs are missing here is what the NPR piece -- which initially came to my attention via my sons -- so incisively sets forth: the multi-dimensionality of bro-ishness. Not all bros are fungible, backward baseball cap-wearing, keg-partying frat boys; note the various bro-ishness vectors depicted in the Venn diagram, which suggests greater variability within the bro culture.

As an example, my sons, who are graduates of a local day school and therefore moderately preppy, but who would never wear backwards baseball caps and, who, in fact, used this sartorial element as a litmus test on college tours, ruling out schools where the rally cap look was prevalent, nonetheless qualify as bros because, as varsity athletes in HS and college, they rate high on the jockishness scale, and, despite having chosen to attend a college without fraternities, they looove hangin' with their bro-pals and thus, also have a very high dudeliness quotient. (Sadly, their stonerdude-ness is virtually non-existent, despite being the first generation born outside of California on my mother's side of the family.)

You seem really invested in your sons' social lives .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of two young men, one a current college student and the other a recent grad, I have to point out that the critical nuance that many PPs are missing here is what the NPR piece -- which initially came to my attention via my sons -- so incisively sets forth: the multi-dimensionality of bro-ishness. Not all bros are fungible, backward baseball cap-wearing, keg-partying frat boys; note the various bro-ishness vectors depicted in the Venn diagram, which suggests greater variability within the bro culture.

As an example, my sons, who are graduates of a local day school and therefore moderately preppy, but who would never wear backwards baseball caps and, who, in fact, used this sartorial element as a litmus test on college tours, ruling out schools where the rally cap look was prevalent, nonetheless qualify as bros because, as varsity athletes in HS and college, they rate high on the jockishness scale, and, despite having chosen to attend a college without fraternities, they looove hangin' with their bro-pals and thus, also have a very high dudeliness quotient. (Sadly, their stonerdude-ness is virtually non-existent, despite being the first generation born outside of California on my mother's side of the family.)

Good grief.

[Anonymous]

One thing stands out from this thread: Moms are clueless when it comes to their college age sons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of two young men, one a current college student and the other a recent grad, I have to point out that the critical nuance that many PPs are missing here is what the NPR piece -- which initially came to my attention via my sons -- so incisively sets forth: the multi-dimensionality of bro-ishness. Not all bros are fungible, backward baseball cap-wearing, keg-partying frat boys; note the various bro-ishness vectors depicted in the Venn diagram, which suggests greater variability within the bro culture.

As an example, my sons, who are graduates of a local day school and therefore moderately preppy, but who would never wear backwards baseball caps and, who, in fact, used this sartorial element as a litmus test on college tours, ruling out schools where the rally cap look was prevalent, nonetheless qualify as bros because, as varsity athletes in HS and college, they rate high on the jockishness scale, and, despite having chosen to attend a college without fraternities, they looove hangin' with their bro-pals and thus, also have a very high dudeliness quotient. (Sadly, their stonerdude-ness is virtually non-existent, despite being the first generation born outside of California on my mother's side of the family.)

You seem really invested in your sons' social lives .

Actually, this doesn't take a lot of investment of time or energy; you just have to be moderately observant and discerning.

[Anonymous]

There are exceptions to every rule, but 99% of college boys in America fall into one of two categories: Bros and those who wish they were Bros.

[Anonymous]

Hampden-Sydney College is a Bro paradise!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are exceptions to every rule, but 99% of college boys in America fall into one of two categories: Bros and those who wish they were Bros.

Actually, three categories: Bros, those who wish they were bros, and those who can't stand to be around bros. Probably that last group is the largest.

[Anonymous]

As a European, and despite wading through these pages, I still have no idea what you people are talking about. Are you equating love of sports with a somewhat less intellectual attitude, and trying to categorize universities based on that?

Hmm. My 9 year old son uses professorial sentences, is hesitating on which scientific research to specialize in, and can't hit a ball to save his life. I guess he's not a "Bro"? Well, I can live with that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
As a European, and despite wading through these pages, I still have no idea what you people are talking about. Are you equating love of sports with a somewhat less intellectual attitude, and trying to categorize universities based on that?

Hmm. My 9 year old son uses professorial sentences, is hesitating on which scientific research to specialize in, and can't hit a ball to save his life. I guess he's not a "Bro"? Well, I can live with that

It's an American thing. You wouldn't understand.