<p>I know that it has the reputation of being the most expensive school in the country (though this may not be the case given that GW promises fixed tuition for four years whereas other schools go up about 5 percent annually.) Still, I'm wondering if this means there's a "rich-kid" culture at the school. Are kids who have money showy with it? Do kids who are on scholarship or have to work feel in any way marginalized?</p>
<p>I'm currently a junior transfer student and I would most definitely say that most people have a lot of money and there is for sure a "rich kid" culture. However, there are a lot of people on work study and that have scholarships, so it's just finding the right people.. which is sometimes difficult. </p>
<p>I wouldn't be attending GW if it wasn't for the amazing scholarship I have right now. I personally don't feel marginalized, but I think it really depends on the students personality whether he or she might feel marginalized around people that have a lot of money.</p>
<p>My S is at GW finishing up his freshman year. There are many youth their with big bucks. Two of his three roommates are wealthy, the other receives work study as does he. He has found it relatively easy to blend in and has not encountered the "rich kid" culture too much. Most of the youth are able to spend considerably more on entertainment, clothing and flying home than he can. He was the only one in his room that didn't go home for Thanksgiving as we live on the west coast. He does have scholarship, grant money, loans and work study; however the amount left to pay is high, higher than our EFC; which is ridiculously high. He ocassionally feels like the "rich kids" don't quite understand that money doesn't answer all the questions and problems; and he gets frustrated with their sense of entitlement and lack of understanding that they are lucky youth to not have to worry about their dimes and nickels.</p>
<p>Yes, I think there is definitely a rich kid culture. It doesn't bother me, because you get also a very academic, driven, and ambitious culture that comes along with that. If you go to a state school, you'll probably see poorer students, but look at the graduation rates and the academic environments there -- i think it's a big difference. I felt uncomfortable with all the money around me for about a semester and then I got over it -- I think it's that way for most poorer students.</p>
<p>Yeah, there any a lotta rich kids here, two of my roommates are pretty well off. My family is "barely middle class" and I work two jobs for pocket money. Then again, there are a lot of posers who are caught up in the culture. They are easy to point out. I'm saving to pay for a Kaplen course for GED's, hopefully my mother can help a little bit, or I'll use some of my graduation gift cash. However, I have very weathly friends who are some of the nicest, down-to-earth, well raised people I've met. The flashy ones are usually the mean ones.</p>
<p>My S, from a different college altogther, said he finally decoded "rich kid culture." He said they don't think about money in a daily decision-making way at the same level he does. Money, of the amounts needed to make choices around college, just doesn't make a dent for them. So they're not mean, but more clueless.
The specific example: a group of singers was going to travel 2 hours to a city to record something at a studio. They agreed to leave in the morning, but then some futzed around all day until it was around 10:00 p.m. and they said, "Let's go!" (they had cars, obviously).
My S said, "but that means we'll have to stay in a motel tonight and record tomorrow." They all said, "SO?" Clearly, that extra cost for the motel did not enter into their decision-making whatsoever. If it did, they'd be watching the clock all day like my son and leave closer to their originally chosen time. They weren't being mean; it was just spare change to them, but for him a big deal to buy a night's motel on the road, and just to go somewhere 2 hours away for a one-hour recording session.
Where that attitude impacted me as a parent was when dorm hallway damage bills came in for a whole wing of a building, equally distributed among all those residents. I figured their parents just shrugged it off as the way of things to wreck up dorms, and paid it without comment. I didn't like having to pay for someone else's disrespect towards property. One year I was on campus in May and saw how careless the students were, throwing half-open garbage bags into lobbies full of liquids that leaked everywhere on beautiful wood floors. I could see that the college would have to refinish all those floors, and I'd have to help pay for that, too. That bothered me a lot, but when I inquired quietly to my S, he said "they know their parents will pay for it, so they don't care." Hurt my heart.
BUT, he liked having some wealthy friends, just for their stories and great places to visit on holidays! Like, their islands.</p>
<p>Silly me, I thought college was about intellectual life. From the look of the comments here, it seems I was mistaken. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>Alhambra what is your problem? We started threads about topics we wanted to talk about, and your comments are ridiculous.</p>
<p>yeah honestly, this is something that people want to know about so just stay out of it if you think it doesn't matter.</p>
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<blockquote> <blockquote> <p>I thought college was about intellectual life.<<<</p> </blockquote> </blockquote>
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<p>it is, to a degree, but it is also about social life and about forming lifelong friendships and networks. hence the discussion. but i suspect you really know that, alhambra, and are intentianally trying to be antagonistic. Maybe you're spending a little too much time on your "intelletual life?" :)</p>
<p>I have met people at GW who will inherit $200 million one day, and people whose families make 40k per year as farmers. The same can be said at pretty much any school.</p>
<p>I do not think there is really a rich-kid culture here. Sure, a lot of people here are rich. But it is not as if you will be looked down upon if your family does not have an enormous amount of money. And contrary to popular belief, not everyone here is preppy.</p>
<p>Really depends on what one considers rich, I guess......</p>
<p>I think the rich kid culture tag may come from the fact that GW has such a high sticker price compared to a lot of other schools. The fact is, there are a lot of rich kids at every private school of similar and higher rank. </p>
<p>Wealth is really another kind of diversity, just like ethnicity and religion. You have to be prepared to encounter a lot of types different from your own.</p>