Hiding at Home: Exeter's Image Problem

By: Jaekeb Harper

We have preconceptions of who an Exonian is, and we often make assumptions based on those preconceptions. Many assume that Exonians are studious, generally liberal, passionate and, on the whole, wealthy. But while some of these preconceptions may be true—the application process generally ensures Exonians are good students, for example—some most definitely aren’t. 

Despite what this school may look like on the surface, there is a significant low-income population at Exeter. They may not be anywhere near a majority or even a quarter of the school, but I promise you, they are here.

Perhaps this wrongful assumption comes from the fact that low-income students are relatively indistinguishable from others. The school’s technology stipend ensures each student has basically the same laptop; the bookstore stipend covers all sorts of supplies; and frankly, clothes from the nearest thrift store look just as presentable as anything from Vineyard Vines or Ralph Lauren.

Many low-income students, myself included, also rely on third party scholarship programs. Personally, I owe my journey here—and much of my education in general—to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF). This generous scholarship program, dedicated to supporting “high achieving scholars with financial need,” introduced me to the world of boarding schools. 

Now, JKCF also pays for my phone, music lessons, calculator, summer programs, a couple of my flights, test prep and much more. They provide me all I need to participate in an academic world like Exeter. Without them, I would not be here, and I am not the only person on this campus who owes their education to this organization alone.

An alarming fact is that many low-income students make active attempts to hide their background. They may lie about their vacations, spend whatever money they have frivolously or dress unnecessarily formally—all in an effort to keep their peers from thinking that they’re poor. They try to live up to what they think an Exonian should be. 

I myself am guilty of this. I spend most of my money in Grill and wear almost exclusively button-ups—and often ties—year-round. If I hadn’t already known my fellow JKCF students before coming here, I would likely have thought I was alone in my low-income background. 

Although low-income students may look the same, they feel the effects of our community’s assumptions about wealth. Often, the comments are so passing that a more wealthy student may not even realize they were significant, but they stick out nonetheless. They manifest themselves in exclamations like “Oh, but it’s only $3!” after we explain we can’t afford something or when the topic of conversation seems to always float back to a friend’s European cruise. A low-income student in one of these situations is forced to either lie or go through the awkward process of explaining, “Yes, I really am that poor.”

The more appalling form of these conversations, however, are direct and blatant classism. I have met a small group on this campus that is of the opinion that the poor are poor simply because they are lazy. Arguing against this could fill an article all on its own, but, needless to say, hearing this view on our campus is demoralizing to low-income students. 

I have also witnessed both students and faculty members mocking public education and community colleges. A low-income student is likely to be the only individual in their family to not receive a public education. One could imagine how close to home these sorts of comments land for low-income students.

Thus, I implore our community to think about how their assumptions shape the way they talk about wealth at Exeter. Low-income students are often indistinguishable from their wealthier peers—be mindful of that, because when people aren’t, low-income students begin to feel alienated. Stopping and thinking about your words is just the first step. It is foundational, however, to addressing any other issues associated with the low-income experience at Exeter. 
Ask yourself one more time, “Who is an Exonian?”