Reply to What's the appeal for Amherst?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town. No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc). [b]Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves. Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots.[/b] [/quote]

This is exactly what my DS didn't like about Williams - that and the campus is even more remote than Amherst.[/quote]

Any reason to think the every group sticks to themselves phenomenon is unique to these schools?[/quote]

Self segregation is common, but what may set NESCAC apart is that the schools are so small that a high concentration of wealthy kids really sticks out. There are, I am sure, snobby rich kids at big state schools but other kids are less likely to notice them.[/quote]

Our student tour guide said the thing he most disliked about Williams was the uncomfortable social dynamic with uber-wealthy kids, said the gap between them and the kids like himself on financial aid was massive. Small school in such a remote location intensifies, I'm sure. Amherst doesn't *feel* as small, and is less remote, but I can imagine a similar dynamic being an issue. Of course it was when I went to Harvard, too. As a PP said, it will be an issue at all the elite schools.  [/quote]

Two of our kids attended these schools. We are a typical DC area UMC family who don't have generational family wealth, aren't multimillionaires, but make too much to qualify for financial aid. The wealth gap among students is definitely an issue. Our kids had friends on both sides of that gap and socially it can cause issues because our kid isn't going on glamorous vacations every break or wearing designer clothes, but at the same time had some spending money to go to dinner occasionally or see a concert. There weren't many other students at these schools who were in the middle financially like they were. [/quote]

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