How an Ivy got less preppy: Princeton draws surge of students from modest means

[ucbalumnus]

@EngPII

This is larger trend that extends beyond the university. The US has been transitioning for years into more a meritocracy, rather than an historically elite group of people for whom powerful and wealthy classmate families / connections defined the politics, industry, and elite of this country.

The trend may have reversed, though not necessarily everywhere. Also, while Princeton and some peer schools may still be moving away from inherited-wealth elitism, it has not up to now moved as far away from inherited-wealth elitism as some other universities have (based on percentage on Pell and percentage without financial aid).