What colleges do you have negative associations with and why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to pile on Bucknell- can’t stand it because it’s where the girl who continually excluded me in elementary school went to college. She had a series of birthday parties where she invited everyone but me, and I could never figure out why.

High Point and Grand Canyon because I follow a few sports and somehow only their athletes creep into my Instagram feed. Both seem made-up.

Santa Clara because I live on the west coast and every try-hard real estate developer striver-type went there.

Notre Dame because a girl who thought she was my rival in HS went there. I associate it with people who are obsessed with other people’s SAT scores because that’s how she was.

You sound like you need to move on from petty childhood spats. Your elementary school tormentor who went to Bucknell is probably making seven figures on The Street, and there's a good chance your HS rival from Notre Dame is, too; meanwhile, you're on an anonymous forum lamenting things that happened decades ago.

I thought PP’s post was funny. You, on the other hand, sound weirdly defensive and insecure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yale has always rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps because it appears to be so inaccessible and secretive.

I went to Yale and I kind of feel this way even as an alum!

Hahahaha, that says a lot! I assume you were not one of those kids coming from the top 1%.

Oh man. Top of my class at my Midwest suburban HS with great scores and grades but in hindsight I was 100% a geographic/diversity admit. Totally out of my league in a lot of ways, especially socially and in discussion-based classes. I made some good friends and got good opportunities but have a lot of resentment towards myself for being naive and towards the institution for reasons I still can’t really articulate. Yale wanted me there but didn’t really want me there, if that makes sense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Alabama. Too many spoiled southern belles obsessed with sororities.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Duke be cause every alum I've ever met has been so full of themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to pile on Bucknell- can’t stand it because it’s where the girl who continually excluded me in elementary school went to college. She had a series of birthday parties where she invited everyone but me, and I could never figure out why.

High Point and Grand Canyon because I follow a few sports and somehow only their athletes creep into my Instagram feed. Both seem made-up.

Santa Clara because I live on the west coast and every try-hard real estate developer striver-type went there.

Notre Dame because a girl who thought she was my rival in HS went there. I associate it with people who are obsessed with other people’s SAT scores because that’s how she was.

You sound like you need to move on from petty childhood spats. Your elementary school tormentor who went to Bucknell is probably making seven figures on The Street, and there's a good chance your HS rival from Notre Dame is, too; meanwhile, you're on an anonymous forum lamenting things that happened decades ago.

Chill, insecure lady. Did you not read the op? This is supposed to be a silly exercise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yale has always rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps because it appears to be so inaccessible and secretive.

I went to Yale and I kind of feel this way even as an alum!

Hahahaha, that says a lot! I assume you were not one of those kids coming from the top 1%.

Oh man. Top of my class at my Midwest suburban HS with great scores and grades but in hindsight I was 100% a geographic/diversity admit. Totally out of my league in a lot of ways, especially socially and in discussion-based classes. I made some good friends and got good opportunities but have a lot of resentment towards myself for being naive and towards the institution for reasons I still can’t really articulate. Yale wanted me there but didn’t really want me there, if that makes sense?

I went to Princeton and can 100% relate to this. I have found that these schools can be tough if you are not from the right socioeconomic class/background. I graduated ~20 years ago so could be different now. I have a love/hate relationship with Princeton!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll start. Michigan. Too cultish.

Brown. Used to think of it as a place for trust fund kids. Now think of it as the ultimate UMC striver school.

I realize these aren’t necessarily fair estimations, just being honest

Just so I have this straight, you liked Brown BETTER when you thought it was full of “old money” kids than now when, according to you, it’s full of kids who are there to improve their SES? Right. Gotcha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cornell because it struck me as so depressing when I visited in winter, like a gray rock of isolation and sadness.

Yeah, I went to law school there and you're not wrong. It's all that, plus problem drinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to pile on Bucknell- can’t stand it because it’s where the girl who continually excluded me in elementary school went to college. She had a series of birthday parties where she invited everyone but me, and I could never figure out why.

High Point and Grand Canyon because I follow a few sports and somehow only their athletes creep into my Instagram feed. Both seem made-up.

Santa Clara because I live on the west coast and every try-hard real estate developer striver-type went there.

Notre Dame because a girl who thought she was my rival in HS went there. I associate it with people who are obsessed with other people’s SAT scores because that’s how she was.

You sound like you need to move on from petty childhood spats. Your elementary school tormentor who went to Bucknell is probably making seven figures on The Street, and there's a good chance your HS rival from Notre Dame is, too; meanwhile, you're on an anonymous forum lamenting things that happened decades ago.

They’re doing fine and I don’t begrudge them that. I just don’t have positive associations with those colleges because of them. OP asked why and that’s my why!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth. Drinkers

Accurate. Went to grad school there. I had a regular medical appointment in campus and when they were doing the intake the nurse asked how many units of alcohol I consumed per week. I started counting it and when the number got scary and I paused she said “don’t worry, we know what it’s like here.”

It was probably the only time I ever felt comfortable self-reporting my drinking honestly. I don’t drink now, for the record (nothing left to drink!).

[Anonymous]

these schools are so much more diverse than our day.

I like that yale has the secret snob stuff. As a kid, that totally appealed and still kind of does. (I'm from the midwest, wouldnt have occurred to me to even apply)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll start. Michigan. Too cultish.

Brown. Used to think of it as a place for trust fund kids. Now think of it as the ultimate UMC striver school.

I realize these aren’t necessarily fair estimations, just being honest

Just so I have this straight, you liked Brown BETTER when you thought it was full of “old money” kids than now when, according to you, it’s full of kids who are there to improve their SES? Right. Gotcha.

Sorry, anyone who uses acronyms like SES is just silly.

And no, both reasons are legit for why someone might find the school distasteful. People are entitled to their opinions, so relax. But you really think an UMC kid needs to improve their ‘SES’??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:these schools are so much more diverse than our day.

I like that yale has the secret snob stuff. As a kid, that totally appealed and still kind of does. (I'm from the midwest, wouldnt have occurred to me to even apply)

I’m the Yale PP and I think that’s what drew me in. Maybe it’s a midwestern isolation thing. I was always reading New Yorkers and getting the New York Times from the library to try to figure out how that part of society worked. I don’t think I would be drawn to it today because the world is much more transparent, homogenous and accessible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:these schools are so much more diverse than our day.

I like that yale has the secret snob stuff. As a kid, that totally appealed and still kind of does. (I'm from the midwest, wouldnt have occurred to me to even apply)

I’m the Yale PP and I think that’s what drew me in. Maybe it’s a midwestern isolation thing. I was always reading New Yorkers and getting the New York Times from the library to try to figure out how that part of society worked. I don’t think I would be drawn to it today because the world is much more transparent, homogenous and accessible.

Perhaps the world appears this way to you because you DID go to Yale. I’m from the Midwest as well and I know very few people who feel this way.

[Anonymous]

Yale kids seem a lot happier than Princeton or Harvard.