Originally Posted by ultramarina
I figured my kids will possibly get in as "low SES" admits (well, really just "low E"). Whatever works. At this point, the decision for me not to go back into advertising (ugh) and make a lot more money is pretty intentional. It would just jack up college finances. (Well, there is that little matter of retirement...but DH is fully vested in a pension plan, we do have other savings, and we're used to living on a shoestring.) I don't think my kids will have problems with the cultural environment at a school with SOME very wealthy kids and SOME private-school trust-fund babies. There were some at my college and I just wasn't friends with them. (Not on purpose. Just didn't happen.) But a school with a TON? Yeah, that could be weird/toxic.
Ultramarina's post illustrates that income taxes (and need-based financial aid is another income tax and wealth tax) discourage work. She thinks it's a problem if a college has too many rich kids. We are rich because my wife and I are full-time working professionals, and we do not like the prospect of paying tuition that is artificially high so that some students with non-working parents get an almost free ride.