I was one of those poors with extremely high test scores and grades, and the parents I had at the time thought it would make them look good if I went to an Ivy League. I looked into it, and realized that even with a full scholarship, I was never going to fit in, and would not be able to keep up with the socializing that, as you say, is a significant part of the process there. I’ve never regretted that decision. Even if you do get to be one of the tokens, that’s all you are, unless you’re the kind of person to quickly pick up on how to fit in to that crowd (and how to get them to pay for it, because that’s another place where it all falls apart for poor scholarship kids…how do you join them at their ski chalet for winter break, etc.).
I’d been the scholarship kid in grade school, and so I could recognize that this was just a higher-level version of what I’d already experienced. The deck is stacked against you if you’re not already on top.
