<p>Maybe not. Maybe not for everyone. But, you know, judging the personality of a campus is also not a simple matter and making assumptions about someone’s character based on the brand names they favor … That’s dangerous territory. Who “in real life” has seen teenagers arrange themselves in cliques the way they do in Mean Girls? Sure, cliques are real and social stratification is real. But people and social groups are much more complex (and interesting and fluid and vexing) than some people on this thread seem to think. Again, my own experience is that pigeonholing people is reductive and divisive. Beyond that, I’ll bet there are plenty of kids who go into college thinking some of this stuff matters and who come out feeling maybe it doesn’t or not so much or not in the ways they once thought. You know? I just hate this notion that you can do a once over on a group of young women carrying whatever kind of bag or wearing whatever kind of clothing and instantly know something significant about them. It’s rather presumptuous, if you ask me.</p>
<p>P.S. I so wish everyone could see what I’m wearing at this moment. Because it is kinda scary. Orange shoes and polka-dotted socks are involved. And a t-shirt from 1981. With a stylized representation of Gloria Swanson’s face (from Sunset Boulevard.) T-shirt matches the shoes.</p>
<p>I’m willing to give the smelly aspect a bit of a pass if the person concerned is a highly engaging conversationalist on many intellectual topics ranging from the finer points of US/Chinese/other histories, politics, art/music, computer technology/microprocessor design, etc. </p>
<p>Then again, part of it came from growing up in a city where having a sensitive nose was a serious liability in the '80s when subways reeked…especially of l’eau d’urea.*</p>
<ul>
<li>As you’ve probably figured…French was my worst subject in high school. Sue me. :)</li>
</ul>
<p>We saw a lot more suits and ties on the American U. campus than on any other campus. I don’t think it was because they are wealthier, I think it’s because they were returning from internships. That said, if I see too many designer clothes on campus I am likely to make some assumptions about the student body, for better or worse. (My son based his feelings about William and Mary based on how the kids were dressed on the website! - Mind you he’d just gotten into a reach school EA, so he was culling his list and that seemed as good a reason as any.)</p>
<p>Since I started the “handbags and BMWs” discussion, I’ll point out that I was discussing teenagers w/designer purses and new BMWs", not their parents, and that those kids are highly unlikely to have earned the monies paying for those $400+ purses and $40,000+ cars. No teenager “needs” these items; their purchase and display are most definitely reflective of the family’s social aspirations. </p>
<p>I agree w/previous poster that “old money” is much less likely to display the fancy bags and cars. My comment wasn’t about wealthy people, it was about conspicuous consumption of status-designator consumer goods. Still think pundit-author-political commentator David Brooks gets this right.</p>
<p>Scroll slightly down, and look at the right side. Patches suspiciously neat? Sweater ultra clean? Covering face while he smokes? Is he hiding his look of good health? </p>
<p>In case the OP is anywhere still around… I know a few Luther grads and they are great, happy people. Their alumni group hereabouts is quite tight knit and supportive of current students and recent grads (DC area). One told me that Luther (in their day) was mainly good for nursing and music majors - none of my Luther friends majored in those fields and they are all doing well. It’s not uncommon to see e-mails going around trying to find a free place to stay in DC for a current student who needs housing for a month or so during an internship. Just to let you know…</p>
<p>On original topic…any recommendations for west coast LAC strong in math/physics/engineering?</p>
<p>On the handbag topic. . . many young women outgrow the middle school/high school attitude of ‘you have the wrong jeans, thong undies, shoes etc. and I have the cool stuff and I’m so much better than you’…some don’t. In my admittedly limited sample pool, those young ladies who do not outgrow the attitude by college often have a parent who is still trying to relive their own glory days and behaved similarly at that age.</p>
<p>Another BMW and handbag discussion…I thought this was about LAC. We have a tradition at home, whenever our girl has a breakup, they get a new handbag to make them feel better. More heartache, more expensive bag. I like to ask, “is it a Prada or a Coach breakup?”</p>
<p>Cousin’s hubby did Whitman/CalTech 3/2 and was very happy with it. He thought that he had a better grounding in physics than those who went to Cal Tech all the way through as they were dropped in at the deep end and were paddling for their lives rather than having a moment to get comfortable with the essentials first.</p>
<p>Indeed, you can. And that body language could manifest itself regardless of what the person is wearing / carrying.</p>
<p>And AGAIN, I’m asking you for the dozenth time - in the context of walking around a campus and observing students going about their business, what body language might you observe that leads you to conclude that they are snobby, self-centered, overly materialistic, etc. I’m not asking you that you OBSERVE they are carrying designer handbags (etc); the observation in itself means nothing. I’m asking - that once your radar goes up, so to speak, because you’ve seen the bag – what cues do you look for that lead you to the conclusion that a) the girl is snotty and her bag is her indication of self-worth and she won’t give the time of day to anyone not wearing a similar bag versus b) the girl is perfectly pleasant and it just so happens that she has a nice bag. It’s a simple question. In the context of walking behind her at the student center, or in the bookstore, or as she sits in class - what cues do you pick up on that let you choose a vs b?</p>
<p>Some people like to look nice and well put together. I think that’s a good thing, personally. I think the current pajama-pants-in-class look isn’t anything to write home about, and I’m personally glad that my daughter wouldn’t be caught dead looking like that. </p>
<p>You know, as for myself, it’s just an easy to throw on skinny jeans and cute flats as it is sweatpants and sneakers, and I like looking reasonably decent for my casual everyday life. Tons of other women my age are always in sweatpants and sneakers. Their choice, of course, but if I choose differently for myself, what’s the big deal? It’s fun, IMO, to look good and be fashionable for the circumstances in which you find yourself. I’m in Rome right now and wishing the weather was such that I could tie a big Hermes scarf around myself and channel Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Fashion is fun. I don’t see the big deal, and I think the idea of grown adults acting so put-out by a designer handbag (etc) is quite amusing.</p>
<p>You’re right. No teenager “needs” a $400 purse. No teenager “needs” expensive ballet or soccer or (insert extracurricular of course) lessons. No teenager “needs” a private high school when public education is available to all. No teenager “needs” a fancy-schmancy LAC or top research uni education when community colleges and state schools exist. So what? What does that have to do with anything? </p>
<p>We took our kids to Europe for 3 weeks this past summer as their high school graduation gift, stayed in grand hotels, indulged in nice experiences, and had a grand time. They didn’t “need” that. So what? We wanted to do it and we had the money (and freq flyer miles) to do it, so we did. I indulged my daughter in a shopping trip before she went off to school. Some fun, beautiful clothing for her new adventure, including some cashmere sweaters and things of that nature she’ll have forever. Oh - for the holidays, she wanted a Vera Bradley duffel bag she thought was cute. Is that “designer”? Does it say something about her other than she liked that particular look? Is it better if she just carries her clothing in a brown paper bag or something?</p>