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<p>Aspire to what?</p>
<p>I guess if you mean “they worked hard to get where they are”, I can see where you’re going.</p>
<p>“Prettier” and “smarter”, though? It’s better to play the hand of cards you’re dealt than to waste time (and destroy your insides) envying.</p>
<p>I think one of the uncomfortable aspects of this is that one would assume that these college students did not EARN their wealth.(And I am not specifically referring to GW - just to students at any school who flaunt their wealth.) It is one thing for adults to display their wealth or acquisitions as they please, because even if they inherited it, there is still an assumption that they have jobs. However, college students usually cannot earn enough to afford expensive cars, designer clothes, or have tons and tons of spending money available. </p>
<p>When college students display this much extra money, it conveys an “entitled” attitude, and suggests that they do not know how hard it is to earn what they have. I know one can debate this by claiming that any child whose parent pays tuition could be considered entitled. However, when students spend freely on purchases most consumers wouldn’t dream of buying, it conveys an attitude of entitlement and disregard for what it takes to actually earn what they bought. One wonders why parents of these children assume it is helpful to give them so much.</p>
<p>“When college students display this much extra money, it conveys an “entitled” attitude, and suggests that they do not know how hard it is to earn what they have. I know one can debate this by claiming that any child whose parent pays tuition could be considered entitled. However, when students spend freely on purchases most consumers wouldn’t dream of buying, it conveys an attitude of entitlement and disregard for what it takes to actually earn what they bought”</p>
<p>You don’t know that at all. They could be very aware of how hard their parents work and very appreciative of those things. I think that’s an unfair generalization. You also don’t know that because someone has designer whatever, that they “spend freely.” Having nice things and spending without regard are two entirely different things.</p>
<p>BTW, how is having something and using it as intended “flaunting”? If I walk into a Starbucks with a designer bag, am I “flaunting” the bag, or just using it?</p>
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<p>It’s your perception that it “conveys an entitled attitude.” The kids may know and appreciate what it takes; some may not. They may not think it is a big deal to spend excess money their family has.</p>
<p>Mini, while the liberal arts is the largest group, engineering at GWU is not a large program, only 5-6% of students, with about 20% in Elliott school of Intl Affairs and 15% in business. The business and IA students do indeed seem quite pre-professional, heading off to their internships in business attire.</p>
<p>GW and American are different, one is urban and one is a little campus in the middle of a wealthy residential area. We visited American also, kid didn’t like it, and my D who actually attended GW for 3.5 years (one semester abroad) did not feel the overwhelming conspicuous consumption and wealth flaunting that so many claim to have seen on a visit. There is some, as everywhere, but the majority of kids are not like you all are describing.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to pick on GWU, but want to share one detail of our experience there. D didn’t really like it, but the kicker was the student center. Lovely, complete with a ‘Concierge’. I had to explain to D what a Concierge is. SERIOUSLY - a CONCIERGE?!!</p>
<p>Can’t imagine how the school got its rep. ;-)</p>
<p>People on this thread crack me up - they come on here and judge as if they know and discount those that do know- maybe mamabear does know the true scene since her D went there.</p>
<p>My D is finishing her junior year at GW. She is the most liberal person you would meet. She would be sickened by an environment that only flaunted its wealth. She would not have lasted, it is the opposite of what she is all about. She has love the school and taking advantage of being in the heart of DC (and LizzieT she knows nothing of any concierge).</p>
<p>But this is the internet so everyone make up what you like. Expensive school so lets bash it. To the student way back in the thread who is going and found no signs of this on her visit - you were right, no worries. GW is like EVERY other expensive school in this country…of course their is a good amount of wealth…just like almost every good schhol on this planet.</p>
<p>You know, there aren’t a tremendous number of Pell students at the Ivies, either. They just give financial aid to the middle class, and say, 60% of students received financial aid. But, very few of them are pell eligible. Also, when you read that stat, you have an awful lot of full pays on that list.</p>
<p>Colleges are full of people who can afford to go to college, oddly enough.</p>
<p>But, showy is tacky. Period.</p>
<p>Living on the other coast, I only know of one student attending GW, a bright young man with an interest in history that started in elementary school. Knowing the family, I assume he is attending with substantial financial aid.</p>
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I find it hard to believe that GW’s reputation as an enclave of conspicuous consumption came out of nowhere, especially since my S, who had never heard this about the school prior to enrolling because he didn’t pay attention anything other than academic reputation, noticed that aspect of the place early in his freshman year. Again, I think the school’s location in an expensive urban area offers opportunities for conspicuous consumption that just aren’t available at many other schools where there are affluent students.</p>
<p>MommaJ, sort of like NYU :)?</p>
<p>It almost seems that some posters feel that students from privileged backgrounds should “apologize” for who they are. I don’t agree with this line of thinking. Diversity is meant to include them as well.</p>
<p>The thing about conspicuous consumption, is that it is designed to be conspicuous.</p>
<p>It is meant to be noticed. It is meant to send a signal, just as a tatoo on a face is meant to send a signal. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the signal that is meant to be sent isn’t always the signal that is received. </p>
<p>I do not for a second believe that anyone carries a $5000 purse just because she likes it. She has every right in the world to carry it, but she should recognize that the purse sends a variety of public signals.</p>
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<p>This is America not China or the former USSR. Why are so many on this thread bashing those students with means? Many have implied that those who can afford luxuries curtail their spending and live a homogenous lifestyle conducive with those who don’t have as much. Our country has a capitalistic, free market economy and as long as it continues, there will always be different socio-economic levels. Thank God for this because I for one don’t want to live in a socialist regime. Some schools are known for having a wealthy student body…so what? Don’t like it? Go somewhere else.</p>
<p>Isn’t this an indictment of our entire American society? </p>
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<p>You are absolutely right that our downtrodden over-privileged youth are free to wear what they like, have contests to see who can down the most bottles of table-service Cristal, and generally act like they were born on third base and think they hit a triple. And I still have the freedom to think that’s tacky and say so. God bless America!</p>
<p>“Prettier” and “smarter”, though? It’s better to play the hand of cards you’re dealt than to waste time (and destroy your insides) envying. "</p>
<p>I believe that was what I meant, just didn’t say it well enough.</p>
<p>Don’t spend your time worrying about what everyone else “has”. Deal with what you have, use the gifts you’ve been given and aspire to what you want in life. If you spend all your time watching what everyone else is doing or coveting what everyone else has, you will waste time that could be spend working to reach your own goals.</p>
<p>Wise words, mythreesons1144. Why must we count other people’s money? Yes, it’s possible to flaunt one’s wealth, but so often the flaunting is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t understand where the story is in the article mentioned in the OP. There are rich kids at expensive schools? This is hardly “man bites dog” material. </p>
<p>And I wouldn’t spend $5,000 on a handbag if I had billions. (But I wouldn’t recognize a $5,000 handbag if someone bashed me over the head with it, either.)</p>
<p>I don’t understand where the “story” is either. You will find people with resources everywhere and yes, some will choose to wear their wealth on their sleeves. If you are uncomfortable with that, then I would assume one would either avoid those places or avoid those people. But to suggest that anyone should change their mode of living or personalitiy because of your point of view, is not a reasonable position.</p>
<p>You assume correctly – and that’s sort of the point. I don’t think most folks here are saying that the conspicuous consumption class doesn’t exist on other campus but, rather, that it exists in greater numbers and in a more visible way at GW. Over time, that self-selection bias serves to reinforce the reputation. And, as others here have noted, these sorts of kids tend to prefer urban campuses like GW’s. </p>
<p>Some of this is Trachtenberg’s legacy. He was more of a higher education impresario than a traditional university president, and he did a lot of good things at a school that risked not only lacking a national reputation but also being only the third best school in the DC area with the word “George” in its name. But those advances also came with a lot of bluster and ruffled feathers. The school itself is sort of “new money,” so it’s probably no great surprise that many of the students have the same reputation.</p>