<p>Are there any blue collar kids in BS? Are there many? Are they treated any different by peers? Looked down on?Are their chances of admission lower? If so is only because of FA or is it that they don’t fit in as well? While I can tell from reading on CC that there are many middle class families represented in BS they seem like professional middle class. How is family background considered?
Anyone have personal experience good or bad?</p>
<p>Many top BS’s participate in outreach programs to agressively recruit/attract lower socio-economic status kids (e.g., the Prep for Prep organization)</p>
<p>What I meant to say is, would a middle class factory worker family be considered differently at the time of applying than a middle class professional family?</p>
<p>A lot schools look for a diverse student body, so an application from such a student would be welcomed. If you need FA, there would be no disadvantage to applying to a need blind school. At my son’s school, and I’m sure at many others, the student would not be looked down upon.</p>
<p>To answer your first five questions in the order asked: Yes, yes, no, no, no.</p>
<p>Are there “many” blue-collar kids on campus? Public statistics give incomes, not working backgrounds, so that is impossible to say, I think. (Don’t some blue collar workers make the same as “professionals”?) The outstanding fact about the financials of the entire BS world is that half and usually many more of the students at ANY of these schools find it possible to pay tuitions of 35-50 thousand dollars. These families have high incomes or high assets or both. Where the money comes from is not often a topic discussed by “peers”, I gather, and maybe discussions of what parents do for a living are even uncommon, but some on FA/financial aid and some FP/full pay do self-identify in conversation. Greater numbers are applying for FA, and since the school money available for FA is limited, it’s assumed this puts those kids into a more competitive pool of applicants and a lower acceptance rate. (I do not see how any BS can totally ignore need in the admissions process, start to finish, because of those limits on funds available.) All this said, if an applicant has desirable traits, the employment background of the parents is a non-issue for the admissions offices I know of. Nevertheless, BS populations are decidedly characterized by affluence, whatever the percentage of FA kids on the particular campus, and each individual will experience this personally, once living in the community, in ways too diverse to characterize. Sorry for going on, but the original post did cover more ground than at #3. I view the answers a bit differently than Exie. I recommend asking your admissions officers these questions directly, including if it’s possible to speak with kids from similar backgrounds when you are on a campus, which is more a concern than the admissions angle, imho. The stakes are high, and our answers on CC are not so situation specific to your target schools, etc. Good luck.</p>
<p>Lower socioeconomic status may well be a “hook” and improve chances of admission, especially if the candidate can show they have overcome significant adversity to pursue their dream of a good education. Certainly being the first in the family to attend college is considered a big hook at many colleges. There are many programs to encourage students from under privileged backgrounds, and many prep schools that invest in diversity (check out Exeter, for example).</p>
<p>If you stay in your local school, take advantage of summer programs at colleges like Harvard, Cornell, and the like. Speak to your guidance counselor about your dreams. A lot. Look into scholarships and financial aid. A lot. </p>
<p>Two problems may arise that you should think about. Your preparation (without fancy tutors, lessons and the like) may make it more challenging to do well in the curriculum at first, usually this is not a big problem if you really want to learn and be there, because you will catch up. Make sure you take advantage of tutors and academic help at your new school. </p>
<p>There are some interesting biographies and novels that consider the effects of getting an elite education on your relationship to your family, home friends and community. It depends on your family, of course, but I was the first to go to college in my family and was often accused at family gatherings of being a “perpetual student” in a make believe ivory tower world. I found it helpful to leave family behind for a few years. Later, thankfully, it all worked out and I have been able to help many family members.</p>
<p>My family doesn’t work blue collar jobs, but I am at boarding school (Andover) on a lot of financial aid. I’ve been through the application process twice. Here’s what I think about it.</p>
<p>“Are their (kids who need FA) chances of admission lower?”
At most schools, sadly the case is YES. The vast majority of schools are very upfront about this on their FA page. If you need FA, it is much more difficult to get into boarding schools.</p>
<p>Read this article and skip to the 4th paragraph: [The</a> Exonian](<a href=“http://theexonian.com/2012/04/12/news/admissions_seeks_all_quarters]The”>http://theexonian.com/2012/04/12/news/admissions_seeks_all_quarters)</p>
<p>“For the second tier of candidates, money may be an issue. The committee has to work down the layers of desirability, and balance it with the budget and deciding how many high-risk candidates will be admitted”</p>
<p>However, there are some schools where money does not play a role in admission. Phillips Andover (where I go to school) and St. Andrew’s School are “need-blind,” meaning that they don’t look at your family’s financial background when making an admission decision. If a school doesn’t explicitly say they are need-blind, that means that they take your financial background into consideration (at least to a certain extent).</p>
<p>As for fitting in, you won’t have any problems. Most people won’t judge you for being on financial aid, and will treat you just the same. The environment will be a lot preppier than what you’re used to, and there will be more $$ floating around. Also, most people probably won’t be able to know that you’re on FA. It’s hard to tell who’s on FA and who’s a full-pay, which is exactly how it should be.</p>
<p>Thank you all</p>