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There IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING PREPPY!!!!!!
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<p>"Preppiness" is a turnoff to those who don't come from affluent backgrounds... whether you like it or not.</p>
<p>If we are referring to "preppy" as in "went to a prep school", then I dont see how you could have any problems with preppies. if you mean rich people wearing polos and popped collars, then yes, it can be obnoxious. but ppl from prep schools arent necessarily preppy anymore. actually, i find prep school kids who go to top colleges less concieted about their college than their public school classmates.</p>
<p>What I think of when I think of "Preppy" (borrowed from a poster at urbandictionary.com) :
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Preppy as in boarding schools and summers on nantucket. Preppy as in WASP and old money. As in LL Bean fur moccasins and ribbons in your hair, and flip-flops when it's 10 degrees outside. As in sailing and Topsiders and looking back on your house from your boat and being so, so happy. Preppy as in buying clothes not for the label but for what they look like. Preppy as in collars up and Nantucket Red shorts faded to pink. As in crew, tennis, squash, lacrosse. As in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine. As in Ivy League and prep schools with the word "academy" in their names.
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<p>To me, "Preppy" is more about an appearance and a culture than dependant on what type of school one went to. The two are normally associated, though, because they often go hand-in-hand.</p>
<p>have you ever met a preppy person? there are nice preppies, and there are not so nice ones. just because someone went to prep school and wears flip flops and enjoys wearing a certain type of clothing does not mean that you should categorically dismiss them as worthwhile classmates. Sure, a whole college of them is not a good thing-but that is why Yale and other schools are diverse.</p>
<p>Of course I know preppies.</p>
<p>Who's dismissing them as worthwhile classmates? I'm just pointing out that some people would feel suffocated or out-of-place in a school that was overly preppy. As such, it's a factor worthy of discussion.</p>
<p>well isnt diversity a great thing? and as i said before, prep schools themselves, because they have so much money, can afford to be extremely diverse. therefore your notion of the prep school type might be a bit off. and i can tell you right now-many times, kids at prep schools would have had a better chance of getting into top colleges from their schools at home. colleges tend to try to limit the number of prep schoolers, even if those prep schoolers are at the top of the applicant pool.</p>
<p>To those arguing about YH (Byerly and opponents):</p>
<p>It amazes me that people who claim to be (have been) educated at the institutions of the highest standing spend so much time just arguing about such nonsense. The subject matter seems to be completely ridiculous and not at all worthy of anyone's time. It just serves to damage the image of your respective alma mater in the eyes of the others. At least mine. If the students/graduates of Y/H(whichever) have nothing to do but spend time on the message boards debating nonexistent issues, I have doubts as to whether I would like to attend either. I simply thought that such people should be mature enough to not even participate in THAT, and would never degrade intellectually so much as to spend their time (which, if you are truly a student/grad of YH, should be precious no matter what you do) on that. I was simply of a much higher opinion of HY students, but your example just serves to disillusion me (and many other prospective students I think). I was truly surprised. If you want to help the image of your alma mater, just stop the pointless wasting of time.</p>
<p>All right I'm going to call you out on your "prep schools are diverse" party-line. Though prep are able to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships, the vast majority of students come from families who are able and willing to shell out thousands and thousands of dollars for a high school education. Prep schools remain icons of New-England wealth, despite some (small) steps in the right direction.</p>
<p>You mention that prep schools "have so much money" -- do you think this moeny came from offering everyone need-based scholarships? ;)</p>
<p>And when I read about Andover's recent graduating class - that sent double-digit numbers of students to EACH ivy - I have a hard time believing that prep schoolers are unfairly discriminated against.</p>
<p>
[quote]
To those arguing about YH:</p>
<p>It amazes me that people who claim to be (have been) educated at the institutions of the highest standing spend so much time just arguing about such nonsense. The subject matter seems to be completely ridiculous and not at all worthy of anyone's time. It just serves to damage the image of your respective alma mater in the eyes of the others. At least mine. If the students/graduates of Y/H(whichever) have nothing to do but spend time on the message boards debating nonexistent issues, I have doubts as to whether I would like to attend either. I simply thought that such people should be mature enough to not even participate in THAT, and would never degrade intellectually so much as to spend their time (which, if you are truly a student/grad of YH, should be precious no matter what you do) on that. I was simply of a much higher opinion of HY students, but your example just serves to disillusion me (and many other prospective students I think). I was truly surprised. If you want to help the image of your alma mater, just stop the pointless wasting of time.
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<p>If comparing Harvard and Yale is the "subject matter" you're referring to, then I'd disagree. To some of us trying to make that very decision right now, this discussion is essential. You may not find it interesting, but that doesn't mean it's not a conversation worth having.</p>
<p>If you're referring to the ceaseless, off-topic bickering, then yes... I'd agree.</p>
<p>Exactly Elberet. Looks like NYCFan handed off the baton. Time to shut this hot air thread down.</p>
<p>"If you're referring to the ceaseless, off-topic bickering, then yes... I'd agree"</p>
<p>YES I'm referring EXACTLY to that. It would be a completely different issue if they gave constructive advice, useful info, etc. I'm interested in this myself. But the discussion became really redundant (I am not referring to <em>all</em> comments, just certain)</p>
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Exactly Elberet. Looks like NYCFan handed off the baton. Time to shut this hot air thread down.
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<p>Some of appreciate Byerly's postings, and I personally find your ceaseless attacks to be annoying and counterproductive. Please stop.</p>
<p>Mods, please shut down this thread. NYCFan and his alterego have taken it down.</p>
<p>You have way too much free time on your hands if all you do is follow Byerly and attack him. YOU'RE the one who needs to get a life, as at least people here find Byerly's posts interesting and informative (if you can cut through the bias). By comparison, your posts lack and sort of value what-so-ever.</p>
<p>Calm down. This thread is done.</p>
<p>There is, according to the people whose job it is to calculate these things, little evidence that the yield rate will be much different than usual at Harvard this year. In fact, I put this very question to a "highly-placed admissions official" at dinner last night, and this was what he said.</p>
<p>The number admitted last week was based on a "conservative" projection of a 79% yield, so that the final percentage may well settle in at nearly 78%, like last year, and the number taken off the waitlist should be between 35 and 50 or so. The "Summers factor" seems not to have dampened the ardor of either female applicants to the Class of 2009, or applicants for teaching positions at Harvard.</p>
<p>The long term has seen a remarkably consistent yield rate, with this factor concealed by that consistency: the cross-admit numbers vs, traditional "rivals" have been trending in Harvard's favor, while those advances have been offset - to a degree - by scattered "losses" to state schools such as UVa, and to other schools such as Duke and WUStL, that offer large "merit" awards - "Presidential Scholarships" and such, which Harvard cannot match under Ivy League rules. It is tough to compete with a full-ride if the applicant is not entitled to a large "need-based" aid package.</p>
<p>EDIT: This post makes relatively little sense now that
elberet24 deleted his earlier post.. just clarifying for posterity :)</p>
<hr>
<p>I was talking to futajalon, so I'm not quite sure why you figured I was jumping on you. The part about "following Byerly" comes from earlier in this thread, when I pointed out that almost all of futajalon's posts are Byerly-slams. Really, the guy needs a better way to spend his time.</p>
<p>elberet24, You made a good point, earlier, and I agreed with you. I'm not quite sure why we would argue, even if you had the time ;)</p>
<p>EDIT: I'm glad;) sry, deleted the stuff. PEACE)</p>
<p>*elberet24 * Heh, I'm glad we're on the same side again :)</p>
<p>Byerly.. specifically, what percentage of HY cross-admits enroll at either college? A source would be most helpful as well, as I've seen a wide array of statistics quoted. </p>
<p>Edit:
Interesting to hear about the effect (or lack thereof) of the negative publicity on the yield rate.. I guess only time will tell for sure! I mentioned it only because, as a prospective Harvardian, the COFE news specifically made me step back and question my blind love for Harvard. I'd be shocked if it did not have a tiny effect on the yield - but then again, I only know the situation from one end of the stick.</p>
<p>Andover and Exeter are moving towards NEED BASED financial aid-something most colleges cannot even boast. They both have close to 40 percent of their student bodies on financial aid, much of which is grant based. This statistics are almost comparable with the best colleges and universities, as far as finaid is concerned. Prep schools are not the elitist institutions you might think. Andover and Exeter are far, far more diverse than the average suburban public school, I gaurantee you. Yes, there are (gasp!) rich people. But Yale and Harvard have pretty much the same percentage of rich people as Andover and Exeter do. </p>
<p>And yes, Andover and Exeter and others send many many kids on to many great schools-but consider that the average SAT of both approaches 1400, and that andover accepts 20 percent of its applicants (exeter 24-26). If 90 people (say, the 90 top people from a class of about 250) from Andover apply to, say, Harvard, and 20 get in-about 22 percent- dont you think that the next 20 who didnt get in would have been better off being number one at their old school? Its tough to stand out when you are applying from a prep school-almost everyone who applies from prep schools is interesting and smart.</p>