<p>While they could indeed go to the same school, I strongly suspect that this is common to the northeast BS phenomenon.</p>
<p>I have a son who goes to a very well endowed school in the midwest. The vibe there is completely different. There is more a midwest mentality. There, even the heavy donors seem much more approachable and down to earth. The Parents Association is very active and rotates, as students graduate (parents are on the Parents Association only as long as they have a child at the school). Large donations are given fairly quietly, and without much public fanfare. While I do not doubt that problems can be smoothed over with donations there as well, it is far less “in your face”, and there also appears to be a line over which they will not cross.</p>