is Reed cliquey?

easy13wayout · 04-10-2008, 09:16 PM

Are people accepting there for the most part?

TomHirschfeld · 04-13-2008, 04:10 PM

answer please, im interested too

emeraldkity4 · 04-13-2008, 05:10 PM

Accepting of what?
Republicans? bigots? GLBT? Religious views? Slackers?
You have to be more clear.
generally middle school age students are the most " cliquey", and people get more tolerant and wiser with age. So college age students, who are intellectually and socially more mature than they were 10 or so years previous, will be more accepting.

TrinSF · 04-15-2008, 02:49 PM

The question is sort of vague. Maybe you could talk about what your specific fear is? I mean, the answer to "Are students accepting of bigoted jerks who think they're god's gift to poetry?" (just to use a random example I made up) is different than "Are students accepting of introverts?".

Here's what I can honestly suggest. Head over to the accepted student group on Facebook and hang out there for a while. If you find you get along with folks, that will tell you one thing. If you find everyone is really not to your taste and that you can't stand the accepted prospies and they can't stand you, that's something else.

TomHirschfeld · 04-15-2008, 06:08 PM

No, atleast for me, at my high school, friendships seem to be like, set end of freshman year. This didnt work out well for me because I had a falling out w my group of friends, and the 2 that I was close with moved away, ever since Ive had a hard time making real friends because everyone that i meet and hang out with in their friend group considers me an outsider so i dont really consider myself friends with anyone at my school. Do you guys see stuff like this happening, (I am not the annoying kid who thinks he is everyones friend and tries to hang out w the "cool kids" btw)

tennisdude · 04-15-2008, 06:54 PM

Warning about the accepted students group:

That group tends to attract obnoxious kids who want to prove their intellectual poweress to their peers through facebook. At times it can be ridiculous and pretentious and awful. When I saw it as a prospie, I really didn't like the kids.

They change after the 'I must impress everyone at Reed' stage passes, though. And you'll find a whole cohort at RAD who were too busy living their lives to talk about favorite philosophers or how many courses they're going to skip over a facebook group.

So... just because you don't click with the facebook group (or are overcome with a strong desire to mock them), don't worry; there are kids like you here, too.

emeraldkity4 · 04-15-2008, 08:39 PM

They change after the 'I must impress everyone at Reed' stage passes, though

This reminds me of the grilling my brother reportedly gave my daughter at graduation ( I was off walking my dog)
He apparently was trying to show how " smart" he was by asking her random questions. ( he just retired after 20 +, enlisted years in Air Force- ).
She was trying to walk the boundary of being polite and telling him to put a stick in it- when one of her friends made clear that they had gotten to the point( after 1st semester) where they didn't have to prove to anyone how smart they were- and mispronouncing Latin tenses wouldn't do the trick anyway.

easy13wayout · 04-21-2008, 02:36 PM

I guess what I'm asking is if the students at Reed will accept me. I'm an introvert and have always been kind of weird I guess. I go to a conservative highschool full of preppy jockish kids who are loud and mean to everyone who doesn't play sports and drink on the weekends. I've been a loner for forever. I have a couple close friends who are pretty mature people. I consider myself an intellectual and a friendly person but I'm really shy.

TrinSF · 04-21-2008, 02:48 PM

I started to respond with just, "Yes", but I guess there are no guarantees in life. But I think, in all honesty, that you would be fine.

My partner is just like you described, and he hated high school because of it. When he graduated, he didn't go to college, because he thought college would be more of high school -- jockish popular kids being mean and making fun of him for being introverted and geeky. Sometimes my son and I talk about how it's a shame that my partner didn't know about places like Reed. One of the first students I met during the prospie phase described herself like you in high school, but said that like many Reedies, once she was in college, she was able to find a place where she was comfortable and respected, and she's now considered one of the more social people.

If you feel hurt or wary because of that high school crap, then what I can tell you is that Reed isn't like high school. You can be introverted and kind of wierd, and there will be people who like your wierdness.

easy13wayout · 04-23-2008, 01:03 PM

Thanks. TrinSF thanks for the honesty. I always felt like Reed would be a diverse and unique place to go to school I wish I would of heard of it sooner..

laughable · 04-29-2008, 05:56 AM

TrinSF has hit it on the nose, easy13wayout. Reed is nothing like the high school you described. I went to a miniscule, rural school in Missouri as a gay and left-leaning youngster. My fears were very quickly overcome by my experiences with my talented, interesting, and basically awesome peers. Their wonders do not cease amazing me. Also, cliques just aren't feasible, even if they were desired. The school's size, lack of regulated intercollegiate sports teams (rugby, soccer, ultimate aside), and absence of fraternities and sororities ensure this.