<p>The Washington Post Sunday Magazine feature about George Washington University wasn't very flattering. I don't begrudge kids from wealthy families enjoying themselves with conspicuous consumption at college, as long as they are getting an education, too. I mean, what are we to do because an underclassman lives in a $3,500 per month private apartment complex associated with the university (GWU leased the land to a luxury developer)? It isn't a dorm.</p>
<p>The more disturbing issue is the fact that GWU made a decision to base its academic reputation on having high tuition costs. Sure, Foggy Bottom and other upscale DC neighborhoods are great places to live (and to party, apparently), but schools like GWU need to be reminded that exclusivity doesn't guarantee academic excellence. President Emeritus Trachtenberg's comment about how "everyone can't drive a Ferarri" was particularly bone-headed considering GWU's efforts to diversify the student body (too many applications from the Beverly Hills 90210 zip code, perhaps?) and evade the rich kids' school label.</p>
<p>We visited with younger d. We went to the coffee shop in the basement of the library, sat on a couch, and watched the parade of shoes. It was amazing!</p>
<p>She cites sources like a comment left *****, a Tumblr photo set,a Yelp review and an off hand comment by someone who attended the college in 1992. </p>
<p>Ultimately, who cares? If someone wants to pay $3000/mo for an apartment why do I care?</p>
<p>M D goes there, we are not rich, but she says many are. She has wonderful “normal” friends who are not rich or snobby. She does have one pair of jack Rogers.</p>
<p>I have two cousins, who are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, who went there, who also received very substantial scholarships to do so. </p>
<p>Anyway, the wealth there likely pales compared next to some of the wealth I’m familiar with at Arizona State – basically, extremely wealthy midwesterners buying incredible luxury condos for their less-than-academically-inclined students – so GWU doesn’t bother me at all. At least they are in DC and have some decent academic standards.</p>
<p>Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wealth. But I probably wouldn’t want to go to a university where the norm is expensive cars, fancy trips during term break, and an expectation that you can spend lavishly every weekend and don’t have to work over the summer. Not because I’d be jealous but because I wouldn’t fit in. If it really was a stereotypically rich kid’s school, your average middle-class kid might have different values and different priorities. (I’m not saying this is what GW is like. I’m just saying why there is a legit reason to write this article, as opposed to being a busybody.)</p>
<p>We always talk about the importance of ‘fit’ when it comes to choosing a college. This would be one important aspect of ‘fit’.</p>
<p>There are a lot of college-age students with wealthy parents. As long at those students go to college, you are going to have students who live nice lifestyles. You probably will find them at most colleges.</p>
<p>I am not sure that this is a problem, and if it is there isn’t much that can be done about it.</p>
<p>Oh goody. Another GW bashing article and thread! My D didn’t know anyone with fancy cars and most of the spring break service trips filled quickly. Sure there were rich kids (as I’m sure there are at every school). She knew a girl who flew in a private jet, but that was certainly not the norm among her peers. She had a scholarship, worked hard, double majored, had great internships and has a great job. It’s a big school, lots of opportunities for good ‘fit’.</p>
<p>SansSerif, did the article really say expensive cars and fancy spring break trips were the norm?</p>
<p>No matter where you go, there will always be someone who has nicer (clothes / cars / vacations / homes) than you. That’s life. I think it’s important for my kids to learn how to feel comfortable around such people, rather than jealous. (Not saying that you are jealous, just using your post as a jumping-off point.)</p>
<p>Universities (like GWU) that admit a huge percentage of their freshman class through binding early decision are naturally going to have a richer student body. That is because students who need to compare financial aid between many colleges are told by advisors to not apply early decision. However, those middle income students are also penalized because it typically is harder to gain admission in these types of universities in the regular admissions cycle than in the binding early decision cycle.</p>
<p>The students that care about diversity and care about a thoughtful decision-making process by their students offer a non-binding early action program. The universities that are seeking to increase their yield percentage, artificially decrease their admission rate and maximize their full pay students are the ones that emphasize binding early decision. That is not an accident.</p>
<p>Welcome to the new journalism. You have a thesis and cycle through increasingly sketchy sources to buttress your direction. Here is the reporting on cars:</p>
<p>“Last spring, a Tumblr on cars of GW — with photos of luxury automobiles on campus, including a rare Mercedes SLR 722 S, two Porsches and a Bentley — went viral, though it was unclear whether the cars belonged to students.”</p>
<p>Pizzagirl is absolutely on target. There are wealthy kids at every school. It is a life lesson that everyone has to learn. There will always be someone prettier, smarter and yes, wealthier than you. Get used to it. Learn from it. Aspire to it. But please, don’t deride someone or some institution just because you perceive (rightly or wrongly) that they are “wealthy”.
Mammabear and fallgirl - I agree that there is too much bashing going on.
From what I hear GWU has solid academics and that is what I would consider most important.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s about jealousy so much as being on a campus where there’s such a large critical mass of wealthy students with jet set lifestyles that a middle-class or worse, working-class/low-income students on full FA/scholarships can feel very isolated and excluded. </p>
<p>Worse, sometimes the wealthier students will isolate and exclude poorer students whether deliberately or through obliviousness through not realizing that their poorer friends/acquaintances may not have the finances to participate and are too embarrassed to say anything. Regardless of whether it’s deliberate or through obliviousness, the effects on the poorer students hurts all the same. </p>
<p>It’s one thing a few conscientious upper/upper-middle class families have taught their children to be aware of before going off to college in order to be considerate enough to not put poorer friends/acquaintances in an uncomfortable spot. It’s something I practice now that I am in a much better financial situation with friends who aren’t as fortunate…including some who treated me well when our financial situations were reversed back in college.</p>
<p>That’s precisely why I said part of my goal was to help my kids learn how to feel comfortable around people of more means. Whether that is curbing their own feelings of jealousy if their friends get to do XYZ over spring break – or whether it’s learning the ability to say nicely, “Hey, we can’t all afford to do ABC – can we try a less expensive place instead, or plan some other outing?” I agree that people who are sensitive try to be sensitive to their friends’ financial situations and not plan extravagant outings, but the responsibility to communicate works both ways.</p>
<p>This is where I disagree philosophically. IMO, the lion’s share of the responsibility to communicate/be proactive lies with those from more privileged SES backgrounds. Especially on campuses where they dominate the campus culture. </p>
<p>An idea that all of those conscientious upper/upper-middle class families I know of strongly agree with and make a point of inculcating in their children well before they go off to college.</p>