True. I was a scholarship student (and that's why I went to W&L instead of Davidson or Furman). Most people can pay for these types of fraternity dues, but I think there's a significant number than are uncomfortable with the dues and also with the general standards based on looks etc., so there's this awkward balancing that goes on...

There are certainly fraternities that draw from the south and fraternities that draw from the north and mid-Atlantic at W&L. I was distinguishing between them from the beginning in my post. Honestly, I hung out at the mid-Atlantic fraternities, but I did have a knowledge of the more southern groups and their practices.

I guess my point is that there are different kinds of preppy and even within "elite" southern frats there can be different kinds of preppy.

For example within my favorite fraternity at W&L (the one I think produces the most gentleman and campus leaders) there are guys from many backgrounds and many of them don't even take a sip of alcohol until they are 21. They probably aren't cool in the big scheme of W&L frats and the group draws from both the mid-Atlantic and South but it's just the "nicest" guys IMO. It really depends on your individual experience.

My only goal in the original post was to point out variations between even "elite southern" groups and to comment on that.

Actually most of the swimmers pledge a particular frat at W&L so that could have had an effect too.