My parents do not want me to apply to some of the schools I am applying to, Swarthmore, Haverford, and Middlebury because they think they are too snobby and preppy. We aren’t able to visit any of these colleges, so I don’t know how accurate this is. I am a lower middle class girl from an inner city high school, so now I’m starting to have second thoughts as to how well I would fit in at these schools. I am also a veeerrrrryyyyy weird person, so yeah…
I want to apply to these schools because of their small sizes, dedicated students, and amazing academics. I have the grades and test scores to be a competitive applicant.
Can anyone who has visited or even currently attends one of these schools tell me what they think? Are they “snobby”? What is the general atmosphere like?
I don’t know what your parents mean by “snobby and preppy,” but I would think schools of this caliber, if you have the resume (which will require more than just grades and test scores) would be very interested in you and very generous with need-based financial aid. While there will be, no doubt, students at any of these schools coming from privileged backgrounds, there will also be students across the socioeconomic spectrum due to the generous financial aid and high academic quality of these schools.
Many schools in the “selective liberal arts college” (SLAC) category also place a high premium on first generation students. They tend to have unique traits, so you’d want to try to visit them before applying. Take a look at some of the Midwestern SLACs too (schools like Carleton, Macalester and Grinnell), as they don’t have quite the same level of snob appeal as schools in the Northeast.
Coming from the north, I would say the “snobbier” areas would be NJ, MA, CT, RI, and NYC. This doesn’t mean the college will have that vibe, though. One of our state schools (NJ) is in a very wealthy area, but the people are very friendly. Colleges are made up of people from all backgrounds, with different personalities.
-PA doesn’t have a snobby vibe at all. A couple of big cities, but not very urban.
-VT is mostly rural, and is actually known for being “weird”.
I’ve read in another post that you’re “lower-middle class and white, from the midwest”. I doubt you’ll stand out much.
Swarthmore is very quirky and not pretentious in the preppy/snobby sense. Middlebury has a lot of prep school kids, but the students are generally very happy there.
I think you would fit right in a Swarthmore and Haverford, which have reputations for being on the weird/quirky side. If you’re looking for more schools, Carleton and Reed have similar reputations.
Middlebury on the other hand (and most of the NESCACs) are much more preppy, and are sometimes stereotyped as being on the snobby side, though I’m sure this isn’t indicative of their entire student bodies.
Maybe you’ll find more intellectual vibes at schools that don’t have greek life, Most schools have some diversity, but know that if you go to a Northeast LAC you will be with many, many upper middle and upper class students. You have to decide if you’re comfortable with that. I would think you would find more diversity in one of the better state schools that have within it an honor’s college
What’s your parents’ alternative to the “snobby” schools?
Where do they want you to apply?
Do they understand that, for lower middle class students, selective LACs like Haverford are among the most generous colleges for need-based aid? About half of all Haverford students receive n-b aid. Try running the online net price calculators to compare the schools you like with the ones your parents prefer. If they haven’t expressed any preferences, compare the net price of your state flagship.
Thanks everyone! My parents want me to go to the University of Minnesota, where I have already been accepted and given a partial scholarship. I live in Minnesota, so they feel this would be the most practical option. While I would be very happy to go to the U of M, I also want to have some other options. And I’m not in love with how big it is.
I’ve thought about Carlton and Mac, but they’re a little too close to home for me haha I am also applying to Reed, which my parents are fine with (yay!)
Grinnell has been mentioned (Iowa), very diverse, all kinds of kids, strong need based financial aid plus summer funding for research on campus, internships etc.
@porcupine98 I was thinking how easlly and how acceptable it is to certain people to characterize certain schools and certain people as snobby. You could easily make the case that Reed has an arrogance and snobbishness all its own. I remember visiting Bard and Sarah Lawrence and boy did they think they were superior beings.
And I’ve also seen people allow their OWN insecurity to cause them to characterize others as snobbish when in fact those others were simply preoccupied or reserved. Best not to make too many generalizations without firsthand experience … and an open mind.
I am also applying to Reed, which my parents are fine with (yay!)