@camasite Interesting that you think the East Coast BS aren’t filled with the same technocrat kids. At the schools we visited and based on kids we know at top East Coast BS’s, most are the sons and daughters of technologists ( and bioengineers etc). This even extends to URM or ORM’s. Many parents are also first generation college grads. The world has changed ( not just on the West Coast). Even the doctors and lawyers are often first generation. And competition is fierce esp among East Coast kids so the meritocracy is very much at play even if the parents can pay the bill.
It’s very expensive to pay for BS and not many careers can pay for this luxury. The kids of High tech workers/owners and entrepreneurs (often in cutting edge industries) fill the ranks of BS’s.
IMO, international students also have many parents who work in technology-related industries or finance ( esp if you include manufacturing)