<p>I’m from California.</p>
<p>About 50% of the student body is on financial aid; all my friends who receive packages have consistantly had 100% of demonstrated needs met. Airfare is expensive, true; I only come home 2x a year (Christmas break, before summer).</p>
<p>The truth is people here have a wide variety of backgrounds and wealth. Some people are very, very wealthy… and will go on those trips. Many more, though, are in the same financial situation. Lots of people spend time with their friends on breaks, or go on (often-sponsored) service trips. Foreign study allows for going traveling abroad, often cheaply (my experience in Glasgow this fall was that airfare cost less than $50 to Europe!). </p>
<p>Money isn’t really talked about. Sure there are preppy people, rich people, “snobs” etc… but that’s the reality of a fantastic school. It’s not the majority though, and it’s probably better than other schools.</p>