I remember reading novels in which young women in elite social circles were sent to "finishing schools" to prepare them to move with grace and ease among the wealthy. Intellectual skills were learned elsewhere, if at all.
So here's a modern twist on those finishing schools for modern wealthy families: High Point University, a relatively unselective college (a 68% admissions rate) for students who want luxury amenities and a "movie set campus" to prepare for life among wealthy co-workers and and clients, without getting too stressed about academics. It seems a lot like those finishing schools, only it is co-ed and offers a healthy measure of career networking as the campus eases young people into their places among the wealthy.
Dining options include a steak house where students will be coached on manners and body language. Reservations are required. They have a model commercial airplane where students can practice networking with the executive seated next to them. They can cosplay their futures in science labs and mock courtrooms unheard of at other small schools. And it's all financed by admitting students from families who can pay full price and then donate (and sponsor internships) later.
Multiple outdoor heated swimming pools. Free car washes for student cars during a dusty campus construction project. Personalized parking for prospective students during campus tours.
"Half of Wall Street sends their kids here" says the college president.
“Everything’s kind of handed to you on a silver platter, but it’s just a matter of taking advantage of all those opportunities,” says an undergraduate.
“We are not in the business of pampering students. We are in the business of preparing our students” says the president.
Indeed, knowing that you're entitled to a campus concierge when you're a sophomore is preparation for a very specific kind of life – a life in which knowing the rituals of expense-account business dinners in fancy restaurants signals "belonging" more than being a stellar student.
