Anonymous wrote:So, students see this wealth and assume: arms dealer. Or some other unscrupulously- obtained family money narrative. They should. Nothing new here. It should lead some students to wonder if their university did due diligence, in who they admit, the background of this family wealth. Or did the university just see $$ and $$ in a future alumni, wanted the connection.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow this took off.

Just a weird observation on the part of my 2 college kids at two very different private T20 schools. Not focused on one race at all but the kids there all talk and know who drive these flashy cars (usually wealthy international kids from BRICs nations).

We are full pay (and recognized donor at 1 of the 2 schools) so we aren’t “jealous” - it’s just an interesting social commentary. Like what’s wrong with a Range Rover or a G wagon? - one of my kids told me that this is the choice because the parents don’t understand the currency conversion /local price of goods/ how much a car in the US cost so the budget for a car is extra extraordinarily large. So the kids just pick the most pricey option? At least according to a fraternity member.

I really think there’s just a cultural disconnect when college campuses are so extraordinarily bifurcated. There are other noticeable SES signs like this too - but i’ll probably be condemned for making stereotypes so I won’t - but ask your kids - it’s become a weird topic of conversation with my kids friends… Spot the Uris.

I’m curious how prevalent it is at other private schools.

The families certainly know what the exchange rate is. Typically, the flashy supercars on college campuses are owned by mainland Chinese students. That is a separate social world that has very little interaction with non-mainland Chinese. This sub-culture is very apparent at schools like USC and UBC in Canada. Most of them go home to Shanghai or wherever and join their family firms after college. A western degree is a status thing for them. It's also a four year vacation and these princelings make the most of it.

Our experience is that it's more the Middle Eastern kids...sons and daughters of Saudi Sheiks and the like.

Anonymous wrote:Weird there’s pretty much no place to park a Lambo at Yale….

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow this took off.

Just a weird observation on the part of my 2 college kids at two very different private T20 schools. Not focused on one race at all but the kids there all talk and know who drive these flashy cars (usually wealthy international kids from BRICs nations).

We are full pay (and recognized donor at 1 of the 2 schools) so we aren’t “jealous” - it’s just an interesting social commentary. Like what’s wrong with a Range Rover or a G wagon? - one of my kids told me that this is the choice because the parents don’t understand the currency conversion /local price of goods/ how much a car in the US cost so the budget for a car is extra extraordinarily large. So the kids just pick the most pricey option? At least according to a fraternity member.

I really think there’s just a cultural disconnect when college campuses are so extraordinarily bifurcated. There are other noticeable SES signs like this too - but i’ll probably be condemned for making stereotypes so I won’t - but ask your kids - it’s become a weird topic of conversation with my kids friends… Spot the Uris.

I’m curious how prevalent it is at other private schools.

The families certainly know what the exchange rate is. Typically, the flashy supercars on college campuses are owned by mainland Chinese students. That is a separate social world that has very little interaction with non-mainland Chinese. This sub-culture is very apparent at schools like USC and UBC in Canada. Most of them go home to Shanghai or wherever and join their family firms after college. A western degree is a status thing for them. It's also a four year vacation and these princelings make the most of it.

Anonymous wrote:There has always been EuroTrash at US colleges. In the 90s, Vanity Fair had an article about the foreign student scene at Brown.

At my first job out of college I befriended a Greek girl who had gone to Georgetown and she described her life as a college student which included living in a luxury apartment building and going out to expensive clubs and bars and I was blown away.
In the 1950s my dad was at Yale and friends with the son of the Australian ambassador. My dad still laughs at this kid’s posh lifestyle, not to mention his penchant for testing the limits of diplomatic immunity.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow this took off.

Just a weird observation on the part of my 2 college kids at two very different private T20 schools. Not focused on one race at all but the kids there all talk and know who drive these flashy cars (usually wealthy international kids from BRICs nations).

We are full pay (and recognized donor at 1 of the 2 schools) so we aren’t “jealous” - it’s just an interesting social commentary. Like what’s wrong with a Range Rover or a G wagon? - one of my kids told me that this is the choice because the parents don’t understand the currency conversion /local price of goods/ how much a car in the US cost so the budget for a car is extra extraordinarily large. So the kids just pick the most pricey option? At least according to a fraternity member.

I really think there’s just a cultural disconnect when college campuses are so extraordinarily bifurcated. There are other noticeable SES signs like this too - but i’ll probably be condemned for making stereotypes so I won’t - but ask your kids - it’s become a weird topic of conversation with my kids friends… Spot the Uris.

I’m curious how prevalent it is at other private schools.

Anonymous wrote:Most international students have to use their parents' *lifetime savings* to muster just enough money to study in the US. To reduce cost, they live in below-average apartments, eat cheap pizzas, share a beat-up car to do grocery, share phone lines, and have bank accounts with near-zero balance most days. There is certainly a group of splurgy, showy students, often from China these days, but these buy-Lambo-with-cash kids are few and far between.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are at two different T20 and talk about the multiple Lamborghini urus/Bentleys all over campus. Friends with kids at Yale, Princeton and Stanford also mention it - in disgust. Over the top showy wealth.

Look at r/yale today for a post.

All international /non-US born students own these cars (according to my DC, these kids tell their parents they need a car and then get a 250k budget for a car).

So how is this normal? Why don’t T50 admissions offices educate their wealthy non-US donors and tell them this is a sure fire way to stand out (in a bad way)?

Cars don’t have to cost 400k…

Anonymous wrote:Most international students have to use their parents' *lifetime savings* to muster just enough money to study in the US. To reduce cost, they live in below-average apartments, eat cheap pizzas, share a beat-up car to do grocery, share phone lines, and have bank accounts with near-zero balance most days. There is certainly a group of splurgy, showy students, often from China these days, but these buy-Lambo-with-cash kids are few and far between.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are at two different T20 and talk about the multiple Lamborghini urus/Bentleys all over campus. Friends with kids at Yale, Princeton and Stanford also mention it - in disgust. Over the top showy wealth.

Look at r/yale today for a post.

All international /non-US born students own these cars (according to my DC, these kids tell their parents they need a car and then get a 250k budget for a car).

So how is this normal? Why don’t T50 admissions offices educate their wealthy non-US donors and tell them this is a sure fire way to stand out (in a bad way)?

Cars don’t have to cost 400k…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh great, another xenophobic foreigner-bashing thread. Yes, OP, 100% of all foreign students are wealthy and have luxury cars! It doesn't matter that I happen to know that most do not, because I am a foreigner myself, and know lots of foreign kids at many American universities! My college kid doesn't even own a car!

And of course they lie on their apps! All foreigners do that!

For shame. Take your hate elsewhere.

I’m Op.
I’m Asian American.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are at two different T20 and talk about the multiple Lamborghini urus/Bentleys all over campus. Friends with kids at Yale, Princeton and Stanford also mention it - in disgust. Over the top showy wealth.

Look at r/yale today for a post.

All international /non-US born students own these cars (according to my DC, these kids tell their parents they need a car and then get a 250k budget for a car).

So how is this normal? Why don’t T50 admissions offices educate their wealthy non-US donors and tell them this is a sure fire way to stand out (in a bad way)?

Cars don’t have to cost 400k…