<p>Pretty much my thread title. Are the majority of the people form Ivy league and other top schools socially competent? I’ve heard some horror stories and just want to know if this is true. I’ve applied to and have the stats for some top schools and if I’m lucky enough to make it there, I just hope I wouldn’t be stranded in a sea of awkwardness. For those that are there, do I have anything to worry about?</p>
<p>My D is Freshman at Harvard, and the several times I spent with her roommates ,I was amazed how normal they seemed . Everyone seems friendly and pleasant -did not meet any "geeky " kids…just very smart ones !! It’s funny, but few Harvard kids wear a Harvard sweatshirt . They don’t seem interested in identifying themselves to the outside world .It’s when they start talking that the brilliance is revealed . My nephew at Yale also feels the lack of snobbiness there, but I did see him ,as well as his friends ,wearing Yale sweatshirts . Good luck next year !</p>
<p>At the Ivies, the top students from around the world apply and there are many times as many academically-qualified candidates as there are spaces. Admission then comes down to extra value added besides academic stats. An alumni interview is part of the process, and socially gifted candidates rise as well as those with unusual hooks. I’ve had two daughters at Harvard and during numerous visits there, I’ve felt that I’ve never been anywhere at which the standard level of student wit, charm, and interpersonal rapport are so apparent. Yes, I’ve met a few brilliant nerds, but they seem to be very much in the minority. I’d assume that the social competence at the Ivies may be as high or higher than anywhere in the country.</p>
<p>If you are expecting there to be a lot of “Mark Zuckerburg” esque characters, no.</p>
<p>I go to an Ivy League and I have both taken classes and taught undergraduates, even though I’m a graduate student.</p>
<p>In my experience my university has a mix just like any other place does. There are many well-adjusted, socially competent and lovely undergraduate (and grad) students here, and then there are the trogdolytes. Any school has that. Everyone’s a little geeky in their own way considering that they are the top students from around the country and around the world, but being a geek isn’t incompatible with being socially competent.</p>