Political Climate

MommaJ
Thu, 03 May 2012 04:11:36 +0000

Okay, I understand now. No, I’d be willing to bet that even the kids from the most affluent backgrounds are pretty darn liberal. No one would ever characterize the AU campus as a very conservative environment. And your sense that the student body is overrun with rich kids is also off the mark. Like any other private school, AU has its share of full pays–somebody has to pay the costs of running a university–but plenty of students receive financial aid. Personally, as a parent, I’ve never gotten a rich kid vibe from the campus, and D actually complains that some of her friends can never afford to go anywhere that isn’t free. My S was a student at GW some years ago, and he felt that a lot of kids there had endless funds for designer clothes and weekend clubbing. But in any event that had nothing to do with their politics, and I think it’s a mistake to link income level with political views.

You also shouldn’t be fearful of being with a lot of kids with backgrounds different from yours. College is a great equalizer in many ways. All the freshmen will be living in the same dorms, eating the same food, adjusting to college life and a new city at the same time. That’s a very strong basis on which to form relationships. And getting to know people who aren’t like you is one of the many positive, broadening experiences of going away to college.