<p>On clothing, and then some serious numbers:
Perhaps Dear Child should ask students at colleges on her short list what brand of jeans they wear to class. Good way to find “The Perfect Fit.”</p>
<p>Numbers from MIT brochure: 16 percent of undergrads come from homes with incomes below $42,000. Saw somewhere else in Viewbook that a large number are from public schools.
So give my kid the rest of the breakdown, elites: How many from $42,000 to $142,000? Or even $42,000 to $80,000 or $100,000?
Kudos to the MIT brochure for being upfront about expected “personal contribution,” i.e., how much the student personally is willing to commit to for their education. That approach varies at Davidson, Emory, etc…
And double kudos for profiling a student who had to deal with the paperwork and family issues when filing for finaid with divorced parents. I suspect that hurdle keeps many from applying at all.</p>