<p>…saw a thread on MOST preppy ( <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/11135-preppiest-colleges.html[/url] ”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/11135-preppiest-colleges.html</a> ; ) & thought the flip side would be interesting to hear about.</p>
<p>So, which private colleges & universities are the least preppy?</p>
<p>FYI, this is what wikipedia has to say about being Preppy:
Preppy, also spelled preppie, is a chiefly North American adjective or noun traditionally used to describe the characteristics of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs). The term originated as a description of someone who attended private university-preparatory schools, commonly associated with the eastern United States; as well as those who attend some of America’s prestegious private colleges and universities. These characteristics include particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, accent, dress, mannerisms, etiquette, and entitled life view. The term “preppy” is similar in formation to hippie or yuppie, and it had great currency in the 1970s and 1980s. The term first reached a wide audience in the 1970 film Love Story, where Ali MacGraw’s character uses it as a derisive term of endearment.</p>
<p>The more recent slang derivation prep has taken on an often derogatory meaning, associated not with any particular race, community or schools. Especially as used by young people, “prep” more generally denotes superficiality and preoccupation with the appearance and wealth; …
USAGE
The word preppy has come to refer to people of a certain class, economic status, and ethnic origin. In particular, it is used to describe people from established WASP families, and is controversial because it excludes people from other backgrounds.</p>
<p>More generally, preps are people who attended elite college preparatory schools, often boarding schools. Preps traditionally go on to some of the top U.S. colleges and universities. It is worth noting that a school’s eliteness or cost does not necessarily mean that it is a preppy college. Preppy culture idealizes tradition, intelligence, athleticism, sociability and wealth. The culture also emphasizes deference to business and certain fashions.</p>
<p>In fashion the term “preppy” is associated not with dramatic designer fashions, but with classic and conservative clothing and accessory brands such as Brooks Brothers, J. Press, J.Crew, J. Mclaughlin, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Vineyard Vines, Vera Bradley, Gant, Lilly Pulitzer, L.L.Bean, The North Face, and Patagonia. An example of preppy attire would be a button-down Oxford cloth shirt, cuffed khakis, and cordovan loafers.</p>
<p>“Where do you summer?” is a quintessential prep question, since a prep’s vacation location is as important to their status as where they primarily live. Locations tend to be predominately in the Northeast, but other warmer climates can serve as wintertime retreats. It is important to note that preps generally vacation to the same location year after year and often own real estate there. Vacations are an essential aspect of the authentic preppy way of life; common, important and prestigious vacation and weekend spots include Newport, RI; Bar Harbor, ME; Palm Beach, FL; Hilton Head Island, SC; Millbrook, NY; The Hamptons, NY; Block Island, RI; Nantucket, MA; Cape Cod, MA; and Martha’s Vineyard, MA.
SLANG USAGE
In recent years, young people have begun to use the term “preppy” to describe those who strive to appear better off financially or socially than others in a middle-class environment. In many regions, especially among young people, this usage has virtually replaced the traditional meaning of the word. Used in this manner, “preppy” is often applied contrary to the term’s original meaning stated above, as the slang version most often describes publicly educated people absorbed in the middle-class hypermaterialistic pop culture pursuit of ostensibly quality-made goods sold at prices attainable by almost all Americans. As such, teenagers often apply this slang label to popular clothing not characteristic of “prepdom” such as Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Hollister, and Aeropostale.</p>
<p>In 1980, Jewish-American author and private schoolbut not preparatory schoolalumna Lisa Birnbach[1] edited the Official Preppy Handbook, a tongue-in-cheek guide to what she termed “prepdom.” Though intended as satire, it is widely adhered to as a guidebook by those who embrace the latter interpretation of preppy fashion.
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<p>perhaps Antioch for starters?</p>
<p>Oberlin, of course.</p>
<p>blue-- do you mean Deep Springs?</p>
DagnyT
April 30, 2008, 8:49pm
6
<p>^That’s funny.</p>
<p>Occidental? Eugene Lang? Actually, Eugene Lang may still be preppy.</p>
<p>how about Reed?<br>
<p>Many of the mid-western colleges are decidedly unpreppy: Grinnell, Carleton, Oberlin, Macalester, Beloit, Earlham, and Knox would be some examples. Reed is the antithesis of preppy, although it has its share of students from well-off families. My Reed-bound son thought Wesleyan was both nerdy AND preppy. He wouldn’t get out of the car at Vassar. Go figure. :)</p>
<p>Boston schools are generally known to be preppy…is MIT the exception?</p>
<p>nominated thus far:
<p>
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<p>While it varies depending on where you choose to live, on the whole MIT is non-preppy. On some parts of campus, it is <em>extremely</em> non-preppy.</p>
<p>I would also not think of Northeastern or UMass Boston as preppy.</p>
<p>Perhaps Colorado College: Mostly hippies.</p>
<p>All the uber-Catholic & Christian colleges?</p>
<p>I haven’t seen anyone I’d describe as “preppy” at Bard College for at least a decade.</p>
<p>Totally Reed -
<p>However, many of the uber-Catholic colleges have a preppy vibe - Georgetown, BC are by mannerism and dress very very preppy,</p>
<p>…I’ll add Pitzer</p>
<p>Antioch
<p>anyone have an opinion on Rice? Perhaps Carnegie Mellon?</p>
memake
May 1, 2008, 12:01pm
19
<p>University of Chicago?</p>