Honestly, I don’t need a lecture, and you completely misunderstood my post. I think maybe you and I have different views on what preppy might mean. I was certainly not focused on how someone dresses. You know absolutely nothing about me or my child and your post is incredibly judgmental. I’m sorry my post made you sad.
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I was responding to that.
Then your response was even less appropriate. That person was giving helpful information based on their own experiences. Do better.
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Have been to Conn College many times. If you don’t like my observations- that in fact, there are “khaki clad kids” whose clothing do not reflect their interests or personalities, you just scroll down to the next response. I won’t be offended if you don’t find my personal observations- there are kids there who “look” preppy but are not; there are kids who “look” goth but who love computer science and physics-- then just ignore me.
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Again, you are so focused on what people are wearing! It is not helpful.
But what does “preppy” even mean? People seem to use it as a perjorative, and I really don’t understand that.
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I’m sure I’m not the first person to ask about how preppy a school is on this site. It’s no different than asking if a school has a big party culture, or stress culture, or is very religious, conservative, liberal, has lots of jocks, big Greek life, is nerdy, super academic, etc etc etc. As far as meaning of preppy I think we all have our variations on what that might mean. It’s easy to look up a dictionary version. For me it’s more about a culture that might have conformist, traditional, conventional behaviors. On it’s own it is not an issue but if the predominant culture of the school is this way then it would probably not be a great fit for my kid, anymore than a religious school would be. Not trying to use it pejoratively. I’m just trying to help my kid find a school that would be a good fit.
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Understood. Conn is not preppy, using your definition.
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Thank you! Appreciate that feedback.
In case this may help you place Conn College in a cultural context, note that it was included as one of the 10 “Runners Up” schools in the Preppy Handbook (1980).
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That gave me a chuckle. I’ll take that with a pinch of salt 
It’s crazy to think that 1980 was 44 years ago isn’t it?!
Should you be interested, I picked up a copy of the PH in a used book shop several years ago. From what I’ve seen, used copies now sell for about 10 times the original cover price of $4.95.
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That’s so kind of you. I appreciate it, but I think I’ll let you hang on to it for future investment. I don’t think it will have any bearing on our current situation but it must be a fun read.
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I am a student at Conn currently and can give my two cents. I would agree that Conn has changed a lot in the type of student it attracts in the last ten years. We have much more of a mix of preppy, sporty, and artsy as someone said. While the artsy community is kinda small, it is really vibrant on campus (I would consider myself apart of it).
I do not think it is fair to call Conn a commuter school. A big part of people going off campus on weekends is the fact that we are one of the only NE Liberal Arts Colleges on the North East Corridor right near I95, a mile and a half from a train station where you can get to Boston, New Haven, Providence, or New York easily (for NH and NY it is even easier with commuter rail). Conn, location wise, is quite unique in that way. While plenty of people go home on weekends as you said, it is not defining and to be honest it is impossible to know if people are going home or on a trip lol.
I think LGBTQ life at Conn is comparable to the other NESCACS, no one is shamed, but you do have to deal with a small tight knit community that can be both stifling and loving at the same time. Talking to friends I have made during internships from Middleburry and Williams it seems similar, small loving and stifling communities but that is more reflective of the size of the school which I am sure you have considered. Just know you might get sick of the same folks, especially if you do not mix.
I think this stereotype of Conn being “preppier” than other LAC schools is unhelpful. I have visited friends at a few NESCACS and considered transferring to others in the conference and while they might not all present as preppy, whatever that means, they are all places of privilege and wealth. Just search all the NESCACs in (Some Colleges Have More Students From the Top 1 Percent Than the Bottom 60. Find Yours. - The New York Times). Looking at these numbers Conn is somehow (and frankly going here and seeing the wealth of students I have absolutely no clue how) more economically diverse than some of these other NESCAC schools. Regardless no NESCAC is going to offer the experience of equity and inclusion they market because the class of the student body does not reflect the nation. So why do we care if Conn looks preppy if artsy Wesleyan admits a comparable class of students? I do not get it.
Many but not all students at Conn are driven. The Connections program is fantastic and why I went here, at least for me the programing has taught me to connect ideas across my two majors and I truly do not think I would be the student I am without my program. History department is very very strong here as well. While a kid who got in to Williams might not ever consider Conn, people here are really smart, and importantly for me not competitive. The administration has a ton of problems but deep down they do care about the students and that is the truth.
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Thank you so much for this. It’s wonderful to hear from a student, (the best source of information). I really appreciate this thoughtfully written and very generous response.
A couple of thoughts- I have no idea how preppy Conn College is, which was the reason for the post, and I definitely don’t have any sense of how preppy it might be in relation to any other NESCAC. We are on the west coast and don’t have any preconceived notions. I have read student reviews of the school though, and had some reservations about fit. I think a student review mentioned ‘commuter school’ and it gave me pause, especially b/c the campus was so quiet and empty when we visited, which is a real concern. I think they probably meant students left on the weekends, not that it was a real commuter school.
You bring up a lot of great points about socioeconomic diversity and a less cutthroat environment than peer schools. These are important factors and ones that are important to my son.
Your feedback will definitely help him. You are a credit to the school.
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Yeah I am sorry. Reading my post again I see how combative it came off as. I was kind of worked up after reading how some other forums here were implying Conn was second rate or something because we give a lot of merit aid, or our ranking is low compared to others the NESCAC. Not my place to take that out here, apologies.
Related to that though I’d say a big plus to Conn is that there is no inflated sense of importance among students here. A product of this whole rankings game is some students think they are so smart for getting into a “better” NESCAC (when it is really a dice roll at a certain point) and do not try as hard in class. I took an exchange course at a LAC, ranked WAY higher than Conn and while the students were smart, I was one of two people in a dozen person class who consistently did the readings and took notes. The other was a freshman. Good to keep in mind as well because it comes up in negative reviews of more elite schools.
If you would like to learn more about Conn specifically, as I do have plenty of problems with it too, feel free to message me.
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No need to apologize. The whole school ranking thing can be very annoying and not always based in reality. Sounds like you are a very strong student that ANY NESCAC would have been lucky to have. I might DM you if my son gets in.
Thanks again!
Our visit over the summer was lackluster for my artsy, non-sporty student. Felt pretty dead and very spread out. Campus buildings are beautiful, housing options were great, inclusive community, good food, etc. It was a hard sell to go into the art building and have it be 100% blank, empty walls. My student left feeling like it was all a bit dull. It’s hard to overcome that first impression, summer visit vibe.
Summer visits at LAC’s can be deal breakers anywhere. With no students on campus there’s no way to make it have energy or feel lively. We toured Haverford (felt way more spread out than CC). It was a non starter for my son. I thought the campus at CC was great , so did my son. We didn’t go over to the arboretum area though. It’s funny what our kids pick up on and what they gravitate towards. My son really disliked Wesleyan’s campus. That one felt very spread out and disconnected compared to CC.
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Summer visits ANYWHERE can be a turnoff.
My kids particularly hated the campuses (sometimes big U’s) where a middle school soccer camp PLUS a HS academic program PLUS a “pay to play” research program, etc. were taking place. The U was buzzing with energy- all of it from people under the age of 18. You couldn’t get a feel for the actual university because the dorms and facilities were being rented out by outside groups. And one big university had all of the above PLUS an Elderhostel program.
The age diversity was nice to see, but it was very hard to figure out the culture…
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