<p>We can debate the quality of the writing and whether she is correct in her observations, but I am the 41st post in a thread devoted to her essay. When something provokes discussion, it may not be “good” but maybe it is interesting at least on some level?</p>
<p>If Jessie is reading: LIKE!</p>
<p>^^ “There are parts of Jersey …”</p>
<p>You mean places like Newark?</p>
<p>“Newark can be unsafe if you are not careful. Car theft and car jackings are the biggest crime in Newark. Home invasions come in second.”</p>
<p>[Newark</a> travel guide - Wikitravel](<a href=“http://wikitravel.org/en/Newark_(New_Jersey)#b]Newark”>http://wikitravel.org/en/Newark_(New_Jersey)#b)</p>
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<p>Jeeze…don’t be so judgemental. Princeton has an amazing financial aid policy. There are many students of very modest means/attitudes on campus.</p>
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<p>While I’ve heard that and understand that, that has not been my experience at all on campus or with most of their respective graduates. </p>
<p>Never had issues with snobbery at Harvard as a casual visitor or summer student. If anything, nearly everyone I’ve met there went out of their way to ensure everyone else is comfortable and at ease. Sometimes, a few go to extremes by going out of their way to avoid mentioning where they went/attended college. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I’ve had/witnessed/heard about several dozen incidents of snobbery by Princeton undergrads/alums…including from friends/relatives who were Princeton alums that I tend to be wary when I find someone is a student/graduate of Princeton college. It’s really weird as their grad students/grad alums tend to be the total opposite…much like the Harvard students/alums I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Granted, all were from those who graduated during the 80’s and early-mid '90s so it may have been a different time and my bad luck to have heard about or encountered/witnessed them at work and in my social circles. </p>
<p>Also, I’ve encountered more snobbery from Dartmouth and Columbia University(College) students/alums than from their Harvard counterparts. Fortunately, the form it took was such that it was apparent they were all trying to compensate for some real world inadequacies(i.e. academic, inability to relate to others, etc).</p>
<p>^Ouch. You are making some huge and unfair generalizations. </p>
<p>I get to see a lot of Harvard alums/undergrads given where I live/work. They are no better or worse than Princeton alums based on my experience. Some are humble and some are arrogant to the max.</p>
<p>“Some are humble …”</p>
<p>Humble by Ivy League standards?</p>
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<p>[Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!]</p>
<p>Ok. Ok. I give up. </p>
<p>Princeton is a school filled with arrogant SOBs who care nothing for anyone but themselves.</p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>'cept it’s not true :)</p>
<p>Back to the OP; I agree it is a well written one dimensional blog entry, and a brave one at that. However an opinion piece for a newspaper should be backed with facts and detail. Specific examples were given of rude behavior and these individuals will no doubt know that they have been targeted. They deserve a bit of a backstory, a bit of description. I suspect most reading the blog will envision cardigan wearing WASPs shunning the underdogs. However it has been my experience that the “nouveaux ivy” are some of the worst offenders of “Thurston Howell III” syndrome.</p>
<p>Some things never change. That was Princeton’s reputation when I was applying to colleges 20+ years ago. I was hoping that some of my long held ideas about certain colleges might be dispelled. Sigh.</p>
<p>It was the reputation 35 years ago when I was there. And yes, there was a segment of kids who were snobs (as there are at many schools). The rest of us (much of the campus) ignored them and had a wonderful time, socially and academically.</p>
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<p>Bay</p>
<p>I happen to know two kids who are at Harvard now who are extremely unhappy. Moreover, I know 3 other kids who graduated who are deeply unpleasant and only concerned with prestige. Moreover, my daughter and her friends, who are nice normal kids who love Princeton, will often say that Harvard students are known for their arrogance (and by the way, I think kids at many of the Ivies have a spirited rivalry that means that they will often say somewhat negative things about students at other Ivies).</p>
<p>I would be very hesitant, however, to use the “hearsay” knowledge I have described above or an article such as this, [A</a> Harvard Education Isn’t As Advertised - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/03/18/a-harvard-education-isnt-as-advertised?PageNr=1]A”>http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/03/18/a-harvard-education-isnt-as-advertised?PageNr=1) or this one [Unfinished</a> Business | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/5/2/students-life-student-harvard/]Unfinished”>Unfinished Business | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson) to conclude that Harvard students are unhappy, arrogant and have poor academic and/or social experiences.</p>
<p>College students are often unhappy (when I think back to my teens and my early twenties I sometimes shudder). The difference now is that kids blog, post, facebook etc. about their daily travails. Are there rude people at Princeton? No doubt. Are there arrogant people at Princeton? Sure. But the same is true of every other school, particularly highly ranked schools, as well as high school, workplaces etc.</p>
<p>Princeton, in my view, is a wonderful school. I know tons of kids who have just graduated and the vast majority of them are terrific, friendly, down-to-earth, collaborative and happy. And I’m willing to bet that Ms. Ye has many friends like that at Princeton as well.</p>
<p>I didn’t draw any conclusions about Princeton, midatlmom, I just related what I had seen and heard. This thread is about Princeton, not Harvard. I’m not sure why you feel the need to bring up negative information about Harvard.</p>
<p>Bay–
Actually, by posting your “hearsay”, you were definitely insinuating that Princeton had issues different than other similar schools (otherwise, why else did you post it?)</p>
<p>Based on my fairly extensive first-hand knowledge of the school, the student body is pretty similar to the student population at other comparable schools (and erlanger, I’m happy to dispel any of the old myths you might still carry). Princeton is a place for serious students who want a great academic experience. The student body is diverse, interesting, collaborative, and overall, quite happy with the school (and I think that the high rates of alumni giving confirm that happiness). Of course there are probably unfriendly or snobby people there, just like you will find anywhere. However, these types of people do not pervade the campus, nor do they define the Princeton experience. I found the article to be interesting, but I think that such an article could be written about most schools in the country, and I’m not sure why the OP found it necessary to post it in three places with an inflammatory and unproven title (I highly doubt, given that the Daily Princetonian hasn’t shied away from critical articles, that any censorship was involved–they probably didn’t have room or had other opinion pieces they preferred).</p>
<p>I think the student bodies of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are all remarkably similar–when they matriculate. I do think there are some differences among the schools’ cultures, though, so the students may not be as similar during and after going to those schools. As a Yale alum, I’m biased–you don’t hear about too many unhappy Yale students. It is my belief that Princeton has more social stratification than the other two, just because of the way things are organized there.</p>
<p>It is what it is. Princeton (and Harvard and Yale) have more students from the top 5% of the population economically (and perhaps the top 1%) than from bottom 50%. Wouldn’t it be more surprising if the cultures of these schools DIDN’T reflect their socio-economic makeup?</p>
<p>And I bet most of the students at each of them are absolutely wonderful, very intelligent, concerned, and, perhaps, even generously-minded souls. The last two statements are not contradictory.</p>
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<p>I posted it because what I had heard/observed was consistent with what I interpreted to be the issue for the author of the article (duh?)</p>
<p>I do think Princeton does have issues different from other similar schools, but none of my thoughts are based upon being a student at those schools, but rather from being a parent, campus visits and listening to students who attend those schools including my own children. That is why I called it “hearsay.” Discussing how colleges are perceived by others, even via hearsay, can be helpful, I think.</p>
<p>Jessie Ye should have been paying attention to CC threads about the preference of cross-admits between Stanford and Princeton and chosen the more popular one among cross admits! :p</p>
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<p>Oh, yes, we’re all thieves up here. CT, ME, VT…we’ll steal you blind and give you a stony-faced glare while we do so. According to CC, anyway. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Just back from a flying trip to the supermarket. When someone needed to get by me with a cart, they–very pleasantly–said “Excuse me.” When I put the divider thingie down between my stuff and the person behind me, he looked me in the eye, smiled, and said “Thank you.”</p>
<p>But I guess they must be from somewhere else, right?</p>
<p>Maybe it’s time to ask how friendly Emmett Till found all those oh-so-charming Southerners.</p>
<p>Great post, mini.</p>
<p>And for those of you who are open-minded, I think that you will find that Princeton is filled with similar kids to other comparable schools.</p>
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See, a Southerner wouldn’t say something like that.</p>