<p>I have to use my first post on this site to thank the OP for this thread. We are from the UK, but S2 is adamant he wants to study for his undergraduate degree in the US. My mission is therefore now to do as much research as I can to make sure that we do not, God forbid, waste the application fee it will cost applying to an unsuitable college/university, or even worst, apply, get accepted, and then make the mistake of actually going to such a place.</p>
<p>The OP’s post helped me cross this college off my list. My view is that OP is highly opinionated with a blind sense of entitlement - someone who thinks others are not that intelligent. The post, to say the least, was manipulative. More importantly, it failed to appreciate both sides of the coin and look at things in a balanced way. Unfortunately for me, ‘extremism’ or shades of it, is a bit of a turn off.</p>
<p>Students were going to have a vote (democracy???), and a parent comes out with a post like that. Wow. </p>
<p>BTW, we don’t have Frats etc. in the UK, and so prior to researching schools for S2, I had no view about them, one way or another.</p>
<p>Anyway, my fear was that OP’s son was probably like OP - otherwise, how did OP get so riled up… Also, if he is like OP, and it is true that “birds of a feather…”. I then wondered how big his friendship group was, and thought, whatever the number, in a small community like that, it would probably be influential. That just seemed far too unpleasant for us to take a chance with. </p>
<p>I know that perhaps even if my thoughts are accurate (and they might not be), that OP’s son and friends might only be a small minority in the College, but when you have a list of equally good Colleges that you need to whittle down, even the tiniest of things can make a difference.</p>
<p>So whilst I might not like that OP garnered such negative emotions in me from the post, I am nevertheless grateful for it. Thanks OP.</p>