This is probably going to be a bit of a lengthy post, so please bear with me. I would appreciate any and all tips, criticisms, and suggestions.

My last relationship was two years ago, when I dated a guy during college; it was his first relationship, and after dating for a while he decided that he didn't want to be committed so that he could enjoy his parties and meet other women (his words, not mine). This really impacted my confidence, but after discovering RPW, I now have a better understanding of how to approach dating and relationships in a more constructive manner.

My difficulties in dating appear to have arisen primarily from my family background (the three-comma club, to give a bit of perspective). I've spoken with some of my girlfriends who come from similar backgrounds, and they agree that our successful dating prospects are, unfortunately, much fewer; men want to be the provider of financial security as a way of expressing their masculinity, and in my case this seems to scare many of them away. An example: I've met guys who were initially interested and who I got along fine with — but once they learned about my family's wealth, they would more often than not adopt some sort of inferiority complex, or would feel that they somehow did not "fit in" especially when compared with my social circle. Alternatively, they would try too hard to "flex" and made it clear that they were only interested in money and status. My ex comes from a family that's solidly wealthier than mine, so I never encountered this issue with him.

Another issue concerns education. I'm at a college that many perceive as elite (think Harvard/Yale), and I plan to pursue graduate education at a school of a similar level. My culture places a great deal of emphasis on the education of potential spouses, so this reduces my options even further. I keep my circle at college extremely small, in part due to my experience with people wanting to befriend me for superficial reasons (but at the same time I don't fit in with the flashy rich kid crowd). Unfortunately, this has somewhat worked against me in terms of dating; apparently I am considered unapproachable for the reasons outlined above (even though I do my best to be low-key on campus and social media, word gets around).

I've been told that I'm reasonably attractive, though by no means model material. While I'm not currently interested in any of my male friends from home who do come from similar backgrounds (honestly, dating one of them would resolve many of the issues and would assuage my concerns about gold-diggers), I've noticed that they tend to go for gorgeous girls (some are actually professional models) who rely on them for financial security and social status; the trophy wife/girlfriend trope definitely applies here. (With regard to my ex, my friends have said that on a purely superficial level in terms of appearances I was apparently out of his league.) I'm extremely discouraged, disillusioned, and I'm not sure where to go from here.

My questions are: Is my line of thinking completely wrong or are my experiences with men genuinely representative of the population? How can I make myself more approachable, and how can I identify guys who aren't discouraged by my family's wealth? Am I doomed to settle? In my situation, is there anything I can do aside from improving my appearance?