Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 17:16     Subject: Re:Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Interesting responses.... I think many PPs misread my post. Our DC is going to a relatively inexpensive state school with a lot of students getting financial aid. I get the impression they are mostly not "the beautiful people."

For the last 4 years we've been surrounded by many attractive, expensively dressed parents at a private school. I was just curious if this cohort is similar to the parents at Ivys and other expensive colleges. It sounds like to some degree yes, but maybe not at all schools. Mostly though it seems that parents have very little to do with each other and rarely are on campus.
Did any of those "attractive, expensively dressed parents" make any financial contribution to your wardrobe or anything else? No? Then forget about the college impressions. No one will contribute there either.


I don't understand your post, PP. I am not worried about what I wear, in fact it may be a relief to be surrounded by regular middle class people. I may miss some "beautiful people" people watching, but probably not much.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 17:09     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
OP - you sound like one of the most shallow people I have ever met.

1. Stop judging people by how they dress.
3. Stop thinking you might be judged by how you dress.

There. Now look at how much extra time you have to enjoy life and focus on more important matters.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 16:59     Subject: Re:Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
Anonymous wrote:Interesting responses.... I think many PPs misread my post. Our DC is going to a relatively inexpensive state school with a lot of students getting financial aid. I get the impression they are mostly not "the beautiful people."

For the last 4 years we've been surrounded by many attractive, expensively dressed parents at a private school. I was just curious if this cohort is similar to the parents at Ivys and other expensive colleges. It sounds like to some degree yes, but maybe not at all schools. Mostly though it seems that parents have very little to do with each other and rarely are on campus.
Did any of those "attractive, expensively dressed parents" make any financial contribution to your wardrobe or anything else? No? Then forget about the college impressions. No one will contribute there either.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 16:44     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
No, there is much more aid and much more diversity at Ivies compared to private HS.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 16:42     Subject: Re:Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
Interesting responses.... I think many PPs misread my post. Our DC is going to a relatively inexpensive state school with a lot of students getting financial aid. I get the impression they are mostly not "the beautiful people."

For the last 4 years we've been surrounded by many attractive, expensively dressed parents at a private school. I was just curious if this cohort is similar to the parents at Ivys and other expensive colleges. It sounds like to some degree yes, but maybe not at all schools. Mostly though it seems that parents have very little to do with each other and rarely are on campus.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 15:45     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
Anonymous wrote:
OP,

Please convince yourself that your adult son will not be treated differently based on how you dress. He is his own person. Compared to Europe, most Americans dress terribly anyway.

The school will only roll out the red carpet for half a million or more in donations, BTW (much more if it's a top college). It you're in that league, you already know how to dress.


I think you read a different OP than everybody else read.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 14:50     Subject: Re:Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
You don't need to compete. Just wear something nice but something you feel comfortable in. No need to go out and buy a new outfit unless it is something like a black tie gala.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 14:47     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
Anonymous wrote:DC is at an Ivy in a city. We did see a few very well-dressed parents, the thin moms dressed in linen slacks with expensive hairdos, the dads in khakis. We also saw a whole lot of parents who looked worse than us--classic "normcore" and unabashed schlumpiness. We fit in the middle somewhere, and that's just fine.


Those are always the wives who are all "Oh, Phillip, your back!" as their husbands haul boxes all around because they won't do it.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 13:47     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
DC is at an Ivy in a city. We did see a few very well-dressed parents, the thin moms dressed in linen slacks with expensive hairdos, the dads in khakis. We also saw a whole lot of parents who looked worse than us--classic "normcore" and unabashed schlumpiness. We fit in the middle somewhere, and that's just fine.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 12:36     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges

OP,

Please convince yourself that your adult son will not be treated differently based on how you dress. He is his own person. Compared to Europe, most Americans dress terribly anyway.

The school will only roll out the red carpet for half a million or more in donations, BTW (much more if it's a top college). It you're in that league, you already know how to dress.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 10:35     Subject: Re:Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
You hardly ever go to college so it's not that big a deal. My DC is at a SLAC. When I go for move in/move out I dress comfortably since I'm hauling boxes up and down stairs. Parents weekend is more mixed - but nearly all parents are still pretty casual.

For the ivies it probably depends a lot on the school. I went to Dartmouth, with is pretty casual. I suspect the big city schools might be a little bit dressier just because it's the city. I bet parents at some of the SEC schools dress up more than the ivies.

You really won't have much interaction with parents so I'd just be yourself.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 09:48     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
My son goes to Stanford. My "national costume" is jeans and a black shirt - cashmere v-neck sweater in the winter, tank top in the summer - with Chuck Taylors.

He got in. They won't kick him out because of how I'm dressed. He would negatively judge anyone who he saw judge me negatively because of how I dress.

P.S. I'm wicked well off and don't look it at all if you are assuming people who are well off are in designer labels head to toe.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 09:42     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
OP,

Why do you ask?
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 07:51     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
The DC private school world is distorted and what you were probably seeing is the real world. I had a child at a Cathedral school and was constantly amazed at how the parents overdressed for everything.

I went to admitted students day at a SLAC and while I have no idea about economic diversity, I definitely did not see the kind of over dressed parents with obvious displays of wealth that you see in DC privates. Maybe it was that school in particular.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 01:07     Subject: Parents at Ivy Leagues and expensive colleges
Our DC went to a DC private with financial aid. For the most part the parents are all very attractive, well dressed/groomed and appear rich/upper middle class. For college our DC is going to a state school (OOS) and I noticed during "admitted student day" that there is clearly a lot of economic diversity, which is fine. I was just curious if the parents at Ivy's and other expensive colleges are mostly really well dressed and look wealthy. I assume they do. If you are one of them do you feel like you have to look your best and dress nicely when you go to your DC's school?