<p>Very interesting free article in WSJ journal today.
[quote]
** It's a striking byproduct of one of the most competitive college admissions sessions ever -- an influx of East Coast prep-school students in Indiana. Indiana University welcomed about 260 students from the greater New York City area to the limestone lecture halls on its lush, leafy campus last week, up 12.5% from last year. Another 175 came from New Jersey, up 25% from 2007, and 50 hail from Connecticut. While the numbers of students matriculating from in-state and other parts of the country are steadily increasing as well -- the school had some 500 more students accept admission offers than it had planned for -- the last three years have been marked by unprecedented growth from the Northeast.
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**</p>
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[quote]
**Matt Richman, for one, was flattered by the attention. After rejections from his top three schools -- Kenyon, Macalester and Hamilton -- the 18-year-old from Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn says he received an admission offer to IU's honors college, at least three "nice letters" and substantial scholarship money.
<p>Interesting read. I imagine that there would be a culture clash, but hope that both sides, east coast and midwest, would see the value in getting to know each other on a personal level.</p>
<p>We live about an hour north of Manhattan. My husband and I took our daughter to visit IU in early July. We also toured Purdue, Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, and Ohio State. We found the Midwest and its people lovely. My husband and I adore Bloomington and would relocate in a "New York" minute!</p>
<p>I'm not surprise by the influx of the East Coast students. Great school, great people, great location . . . what else could you want?</p>
<p>I think this article exaggerated the so-called "hostilities" between New England residents and their Midwestern counterparts. I've met several kids from New York/New Jersey/Rhode Island, etc. and all were obliging and polite and genuinely interested in hearing from a native Hoosier like myself. Their one observation was that people in the Midwest are so much nicer than in the Northeast and they seem to appreciate the change of pace. So, whether they were brought here for the Kelley school or to simply get away from the private-school funnel they'd been in for their whole lives, they are generally pleased to be here and find us Midwesterners to be a breath of fresh air.</p>
<p>I hate the trashy northeastern students that pollute our campus with their Ugg boots, North Face jackets, cigarette voice, rude demeanor, and ridiculously poor speaking skills. They don't care about Indiana, they're here because Kelley is the best B-School they got into. They're here to party, join their frats, and then bolt. There's a group on facebook titled "Midwesterners against the trashy "New Yorkers" " and it's well populated.</p>
<p>I don't hate everyone from Jersey/NY, don't get me wrong, but everyone I hate happens to be from that area. None of them want to stay in Indiana after they graduate, they're just here for the Kelley School. After they pay the exorbitant OOS fees because they have a wealthy background, join their fraternities and sororities, they go back out east to get their job because Dad works for the bank.</p>
<p>When we were visiting with our daughter in March she commented on how everyone she saw was wearing a North Face jacket. We are from the LA area and she wondered if it was a midwest thing. My neighbor, whose son is also going to IU, noticed that brand also.</p>
<p>So I doubt that only east coast people wear those jackets, unless by some bizarre coincidence most of the people we saw on campus were from the east coast. </p>
<p>Why the North Face and UGGs hate? I just ordered her some winter boots. No North Face purchase as of yet.</p>
<p>IU is getting more popular here on the west coast. Do our kids fit in better than the New Yorkers?</p>
<p>The article makes the east coast students seem boorish (sigh). If you travel to another area of the country it would be perhaps ill advised to try to maintain all the trappings of your former life style.</p>
<p>For those West Coast and midwest denizens, yes, Northface, Ugg, Ed Hardy and expensive designer jeans are very prevalent in the upper bracket sets of the east coast (and may be found in Bloomingdales and the like). Fortunately, not everyone is a boor, and not all the styles are like that. I'm for fashion diversity as well.</p>
<p>Chiming in here as a coastal person that moved to the Mid West. Mid west people are friendly - coming from the coast you might incorrectly assume they are so trusting and friendly they are stupid - that would be a big mistake. This is not my first time at watching first hand one geographic area move to another. The result is the relocated parties change personalities to the new locale to fit in. (I've seen friendly midwesterners move to NYC and develop aloof hostile personalities). Since IU is populated by ?70%? locals and a lot of other midwesterners, I really doubt the east coast personalities will remain. A "hello" and friendly smile tend to have a "pass it along" effect. Friendliness can be very infectious. The new east coasters have been there for what ..a week? I'm sorry to hear about this FB group - doesn't seem to reflect the mid-west friendliness. I hope people give them more than a week to adjust and a better image of just how mid-westerners are.</p>
<p>Ghostfire - it is a SURVIVAL thing. When the windchill is 0 or -10 you could care less that your toasty Northface jacket is stylish. You just are tired of freezing your buns off. Same thing from the warmth of UGG boots.</p>
<p>Please don't generalize about New Yorkers. There are pockets of wealth in the area, just as in any region. My daughter wears Uggs (one pair) and a North Face (1 jacket) for the warmth. Believe me when I say we are not independently wealthy. We're an average family, from an average town in the suburbs.</p>
<p>There are plenty of students on the East Coast who do not attend expensive private schools (my children attend the local, public schools). My oldest wants to leave the East Coast to meet people from other regions and to diversify. People need to be more open and tolerant of other's cultures and backgrounds.</p>
<p>I applaud your son's desire to go outside his comfort zone and experience a different part of the country. Please don't think that A2's attitude is that of the entire IU student body. Hate is a very strong word, and I'm thinking that its' gravity was not fully appreciated. </p>
<p>To get the most out of his experience, encourage your son to not self-segregate. Get a randomly chosen roommate (most likely from the Midwest if at IU) and socialize with the people on the dorm floor. The relationships a student makes in the first few weeks of freshman year will generally steer their social life for the entire 4 years.</p>
<p>I grew up in the Midwest but lived out east in the DC area for about 7 years. When we moved back here, it was a mini culture shock. Life moved slower, it was quieter, and people were definitely friendlier to strangers. One of the first days we were back, we were in a Wendy's parking lot and I sneezed. A woman driving by was quick to say "God bless you!" It was just one more confirmation for me that we had made the right decision moving back.</p>
<p>Anyway, there is a lot to be said for the old adage: "When in Rome, do as the Romans."</p>
<p>Reading A2Wolves6 words I thought I was reading some of the stuff many have said about "Coasties" at Wisconsin. First I laughed it off as just a fringe thing but it seems to be more in the where there is smoke there is fire category. But it does not negate the fact that attending IU or UW from the east coast is still a great experience. There are just some people that might not like you that much. No big deal.</p>
<p>I found this very interesting--I went to IU from NJ in the early 80's, and it was a refreshing change of pace. I found the people very friendly and open. There were quite a few people on my dorm floor from Chicago and St. Louis. I did spend my next 3 yrs living in a sorority, and most girls were from Indianapolis and the larger cities in the Midwest, so it sounds like things really haven't changed that much!!!</p>
<p>My son is only interested in Midwest schools also, and has indicated that he doesn't want to apply to any east coast schools. He wants to meet people from other regions of the country.</p>
<p>Yeah, barrons you are right. The people I'm talking about consist of 5-10% of the student body. They're not the typical students at IU. They're just brash enough to stand out and annoy others to the point that you remember them, and not the majority of students who are courteous and respectful.</p>
<p>Back in the early 80s I left New York for a large univeristy in North Carolina. At that time, I found quite a number of the students not appreciating me being there. I actually had one guy say to me "Go home Yankee." I did just that. My daughter is a senior and applying to Indiana, as well as two other midwestern schools. I truly hope the majority of students welcome and accept her.</p>
<p>I totally agree with the article and agree with A2 but in a less angrier way I guess haha.</p>
<p>I live in Westchester New York but didn't grow up here so I do no consider myself a new yorker what so ever. But it's 100% true what A2 said. I know a handful of kids that go to IU and I asked each of them to show me on a map where Indiana was. Not one of them was able to locate it. These kids are going there to join frats party get their education and get back to NYC as soon as they graduate. This happens at a ton of schools that are thousands of miles away from NY but there is a reason it is an issue at IU. IU is a traditional midwest school that 3 years ago was only popular amongst in state and states close to Indiana. IU gets an article in a magazine stating that it's the "hottest school in the nation" and immediately everyone is sending their sons and daughters out there.</p>
<p>I just think it's kind of ridiculous that kids from around here are so passionate about how much they love NY and how much the love the northeast but go to a school like Indiana to party get grades and get out. That really takes away from a campus community.</p>