High Point U -- College or Country Club?

Is High Point University the new "It School" for the offspring of the nation's wealthy elite? According to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, the small North Carolina liberal arts school is where "half of Wall Street sends their kids." And just check out this lead:

On a typical weeknight, students at High Point University might sit down to filet mignon at “1924 PRIME,” the on-campus steakhouse. This isn’t a mere perk. Servers are told to coach the young diners on body language, professional attire, which fork to use and when to salt their food.

It is one of the striking amenities at High Point, which prides itself on preparing students for the rigors of a career—and has also become a favorite of affluent families. “Half of Wall Street sends their kids to this school,” President Nido Qubein says in an interview.

Now, we all know college life is not what it used to be ... at least for those of us Gen X or older. In the past couple decades as university enrollment (and costs) have soared, colleges have amped up amenities in all sorts of ways, from condo-style dorms to high quality, even posh, fitness facilities, and dining halls that more closely resemble the ever-popular food hall culture in America. And, I won't deign to criticize these changes as a waste of time or money. ... or take the pedantic angle that "they're supposed to be there for an education."

But, what has happened at High Point in the past twenty years is a truly fascinating story. The college was facing declining enrollment and fading significance, and the new president Nido Qubein made a conscious decision to rebrand the campus and aim for the small number of wealthy families who could pay full price tuition. Clearly, his gambit paid off. 

The Princeton Review has ranked it the best-run college and the campus has garnered praise for being the most beautiful campus with the best dorms in the country. As the Wall Street Journal article explains, 

Dozens of carefully manicured gardens adorn the lush grounds. Students are almost always within earshot of a fountain; Qubein says the water has an energizing effect. Classical music plays around campus, and there are six outdoor heated swimming pools, each accompanied by a hot tub. “Most high-paying jobs and everything are in nice environments,” says freshman Alexander Kirchner. “Just being used to it, walking around in it, helps the psyche a little bit.”

Granted, there are caveats to choosing this apparent oasis, not the least of which is location. Access to an engaging area off-campus is highly appealing to many students, so the thought of attending school in mostly rural North Carolina (High Point is located southwest of Greensboro) might be a turn off. That said, I went to school at the University of Illinois, which is a thriving area with a twin cities of Champaign and Urbana just a couple hours south of Chicago. But it is basically surrounded by two hundred miles of corn and soybean fields in every direction. 

My own kids attend school in Washington, DC and New York City, so I know the appeal of a more connected campus. But outside of that issue, and the fact that High Point-U is not exactly a national or international name brand in terms of diploma recognition, the little school in Carolina is starting to build a name for itself.