rhyme
I was thinking maybe something like this might work for some of the issues around who people were: eg "Current Student", "Trusted Member", "Mod", etc.
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=257985The little images below indicate a lot of 'interesting' stuff ... They have icons for things
Mod, Senior Mod, Donor, Life Member, 5+ Year Member, 2+ Year Member... I don't know how much of an issue it is for us here, but if people are looking for ways to identify current students (now that the community is getting quite large, it seems likely next year there will be many) that might be a neat way to go about it.
Also fair warning, that thread can be a real time vortex if you start reading it.
oh man, that thread is hilarious! Way to knock this thread off-topic

I think the pictures are a great idea, especially if we could get logos for schools...
BTW, my $0.02...
I think the elitism is present, and, quite frankly, it's inescapable. The sort of people that are going to seek this board out, especially given its GMAT roots, are overachievers. That's just the way it is, and I don't think there's much that can be done about it. That said, a master-listing of all threads for all schools on the first page would probably bump up traffic for lower-ranked schools. As it is now lower-traffic schools are on page 2 or 3 - i.e. invisible to newcomers. Make an alphabetical listing like this (I'm using W because it's an easy example and applicable to me)...
Washington
Wharton
Wisconsin
...where clicking on each name will jump you to that school's "Calling..." thread. I bet this would increase traffic a fair amount to the schools that usually slide off the front page, which will have the added effect of making new visitors who are applying to such schools feel welcome.
I have no problem with threads going off-topic, and would prefer you be too strict than not strict enough. A clear escalation policy sounds good, as well as a board of senior members to make decisions about long-term members.
Finally, I do wonder if there is a better way to recognize trusted members. I didn't join this board until I'd already taken the GMAT and submitted my R1 apps; beyond that, I don't like to post frequently unless I have something to say. I think that's why my kudos-to-post ratio is fairly high even though I've only ever posted in this forum. That said, according to the rules, I'm shut out of the trusted member forums and whatnot. I think 100 posts is a fine general rule, but there should be moderator discretion.
One final note - I remember you were talking about changing the name awhile back - don't. You have a good URL and are building a brand. So what if it's not entirely accurate. Being worried about that is like being annoyed that several commenters on my Facebook status made jokes about breakfast cereal this morning...