The Synthetic Collegiate Social Organism: An Examination of Institutionalized Socialization of Elite Undergraduate Students in the United States

Socialization is a process that occurs throughout life, it is learned through experiences and human interaction. From an early age, children are socialized and learn societal expectations. Attending college and completing higher education has evolved to become an expectation for successful members of society in the United States. Part of understanding this expectation for success is becoming aware of the elite institutions for higher education in the United States. Gaining admission to an elite institution is a highly regarded and well respected accomplishment. Attendance of an elite university provides a quality education, but more importantly, it opens doors to an invaluable social network and future career opportunities. Although social success at college is a key factor in future career success, there is a lack of research on institutionalized and interpersonal socialization within elite universities. For the purpose of this thesis, I will focus on the Ivy League schools and Stanford University as case studies of elite educational institutions in the United States. I will examine how these schools differentiate themselves with approaches to institutionalized socialization as well as longstanding student-led socialization practices. I apply the sociological concept of society as a social organism to understand each university as an independent entity within the system of education. This thesis contributes to the research of undergraduate socialization by analyzing the first city elite undergraduate students move to after graduation among the graduating classes from the last five years. This research provides a foundation for future research of socialization of elite graduates within their first city and how institutionalized socialization is carried into post-graduate life.