There's no shame in being elite

The only thing worse than an elitist Ivy Leaguer is an Ivy Leaguer who's trying too hard not to be elitist. The former is bullheaded and self-promoting. The latter, however, shoots himself in the foot. We should not hesitate to acknowledge our elite status; rather, we should celebrate and capitalize on it. This is why.

First, anti-elitism in an Ivy League student is disingenuous. Some of us go to great lengths to convince ourselves and others that there is nothing special about us or about our place of study. We complain at any insinuation that we are part of an elite, or that we are in any way "better" than our counterparts at other schools. Such sentiments speak highly of their bearers' humble characters, but betray a fairly naive worldview.

Elite status in America is a matter of public perception, not of true merit. To say that a person is part of an elite is not to say that he or she is better than others; it is merely to say that most people believe that they are better than others. You or I could have slipped through the West College cracks. We could be dumber than the dumbest kid at a non-accredited community college. Nonetheless, since we attend Princeton, people think we're smart. That's all it means to be part of an elite. It is disingenuous to believe otherwise.

Second, anti-elitism in an Ivy Leaguer is cowardly. We all remember the accolades heaped upon us by classmates and older relatives when they heard about our acceptance to Princeton or other Ivy League schools. For those of us with an iota of humility, their reaction was disturbing. We knew very well at the time that our admission to Princeton over another qualified applicant probably had less to do with us than with what Dean Hargadon had for lunch the day he read our application. We made ourselves believe we weren't good enough for what we had been given; that way, we would have an excuse when we didn't cut the mustard later on.

This self-deception was rooted in fear — fear that we will not live up to the expectations society places on us, deserved or not, as a member of the intellectual elite. This fear has no place in our lives now. Our actions here help define what is to be expected of Ivy League students, not the other way around. Those actions are limited only by the amount of initiative, creativity and work we are willing to display during our time here.

Finally, and most irksome, anti-elitism in Ivy League students is counterproductive and limiting of our capacity to do good works. When we talk, people listen, whether we're talking about sweatshops, presidential candidates or startup Internet companies.

Concerned about the fairness of American meritocracy? Rather than trying to deny that you have an advantage over students at non-Ivy schools, you should be using that advantage to address and correct your concern. Most of all, don't become lazy. Whether through serendipity or through merit, we have all been given a remarkable opportunity to affect national public opinion. Let's not waste it. Melissa Waage is a politics major from Johnson City, Tenn. She can be reached at mrwaage@princeton.edu.