<p>Kenf, it’s difficult to really take your opinion seriously for a couple of reasons. The slight sarcasm doesn’t help: I suggest you post a little more professionally, if you wish for others to hear out your comments.</p>
<p>You comment on how clearly you can get a feel for a college’s character through CC? These forums are by no means representative of any student body at any university. These forums are representative of the people most enthusiastic about the college experience, and of course people are going to love their school. Who doesn’t love their school? Let’s read the forums of some arbitrary “lower tier” university: I think you’ll find students quite defensive there as well. It’s no matter of elitism if people love their university and defend it to those who attack it, especially those who attack it quite unjustly. You cannot complain about students defending their university when you overtly attack it without any basis of evidence other than mere anecdotal evidence that seems to be held together quite weakly: your example of the linguistics department had nothing to do with privilege and wealth, as Weasel mentioned, nor is that instance any different than what you might find at another university. Again, I’m sure you could find students at a “lower tier” university defending the wonders of their program in x or department in y.</p>
<p>Obviously if you’re spending time on the Princeton forums with negative intentions–for whatever reason–you’re going to be running into more negative examples, while apparently neglecting or twisting any words of praise. When people praise Princeton, it’s wrong and elitist, but when there’s one example of a student’s faults, this proves representative of Princeton’s student body. If a student states how little class distinction exists at Princeton, you condemn this as falseful boasting: I’m not sure why, as there is a strong correlation with the future success of low-income students that attend “elite” universities, and nobody I met at Princeton or online seems to feel disgusted to be in the presence of a financial needer such as myself. Yet one negative example will indicate the elitism and privileged Old Blood mentality that ostensibly courses through the veins of Princeton. You need to approach this without bias.</p>
<p>Honestly, you give off the impression of someone who is, in one way or another, jealous. Perhaps you’re trying to make yourself feel better about not going to Princeton. Maybe you couldn’t get in. Maybe you could but you decided against it, and need to justify this to yourself. I’m not sure what it is, but you give off that vibe tremendously: why would you spend time criticizing a school–unjustly, no less–otherwise?</p>
<p>I am curious: are you as vindictive against HY as well? Or this is this primarily directed toward Princeton?</p>