The disadvantages of an elite education

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<p>[The</a> Disadvantages of an Elite Education: an article by William Deresiewicz about how universities should exist to make minds, not careers | The American Scholar](<a href=“http://www.theamericanscholar.org/the-disadvantages-of-an-elite-education/]The”>The American Scholar: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education - <a href='https://theamericanscholar.org/author/william-deresiewicz/'>William Deresiewicz</a>)</p>

<p>Very interesting article with some good points.</p>

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<p>The writer has decided to muddle the notion of a strong academic education with the term “elite”, which he’s taken to new negative heights.</p>

<p>Strong academic schools – at any level of education – are elite in the pejorative sense that the author of the article conveys – only in the minds of those who choose to be “elite”.</p>

<p>The author states that graduates of strong academic schools are encumbered in their ability to communicate with the “common” folks – e.g. the plumber. That’s an arrogant and degrading view.</p>

<p>What strong academic schools do is create opportunities to learn, and to analyze, and to grow – all this with the breadth and trust that enrich those who choose to be enriched. In the end for many they allow a better understanding of the world – including the “common” folks – and indeed make it easier to communicate. not harder.</p>

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<p>Besides some interesting arguments about our inability to be alone, I found this article to be, ironically enough, entitled. I don’t know anyone who can’t communicate with a plumber–they’re not inhuman! Honestly.</p>

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<p>I really enjoyed this article, and thought it made some profound points. Although, like others, I didn’t entirely agree with the argument with communicating with “common people” (I believe the awkwardness between the plumber and the author would be akin to any other permutation of differing professions and socio-economic classes). </p>

<p>I really enjoyed the section starting with “Being an intellectual begins with thinking your way outside of your assumptions and the system that enforces them. But students who get into elite schools are precisely the ones who have best learned to work within the system, so it’s almost impossible for them to see outside it, to see that it’s even there.” As well as the section beginning “The second disadvantage, implicit in what I’ve been saying, is that an elite education inculcates a false sense of self-worth.”</p>

<p>The current college admissions process really does encourage a certain type of narrowed intelligence that doesn’t recognize other forms of ability. It sets strict rules of who is allowed to enter, and doesn’t allow deviation from it. “Your a poor test take? well f you!” The fact that, in many instances, people go to such lengths to shape themselves (much of this site testimony to it) in order to achieve this goal of fulfilling self worth through a Harvard or Yale acceptance is, to use the scientific term, ■■■■■■■■!</p>

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<p>You inaccurately suggest absolute score thresholds and disregard the holistic review process. Schools accept people with high scores because they have data that indicate that students whom they accept with low scores tend not to succeed at their institutions. Your other points are more valid, however.</p>

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<p>While the article was definitely interesting (I think I might have to read it a couple more times to truly respond to it in an educated manner), there were a lot of things I disagreed with. Namely, the gross overgeneralization that all students who are admitted to “elite” schools are cookie-cutter rule-follwers who got in on the basis of grades rather than passion. Isn’t this precisely what holistic admissions procedures try to guard against? For every typical high school overachiever admitted to an Ivy League school, I can name an outside-the-box musician or aspiring writer. My own high school grades were far from perfect, and I only really had two extracurriculars because they took up all of my team, and I truly loved them. Yet I was admitted to a Top 20 university, and rather than seeking a lucrative career, I’m studying theatre.</p>

<p>I also find it a little bit crazy that the author of the article perpetuates the idea that the educated elite are unable to communicate with the average blue-collar worker. My friends who are graduating summa cum laude speak and interact the same way as my friends who are going to community college. The only way normal communication could become difficult between “intellectuals” and the rest of the world is if those intellectuals actively refuse to utilize basic social skills, or are so caught up researching and building nuclear reactors or whatever that they forget how to live. Again, the author is assuming that most students at elite universities are the latter; I completely disagree.</p>

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<p>Old news. Been discussed to death several times before:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/720395-disdavantages-elite-education.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/720395-disdavantages-elite-education.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/720394-disdavantages-elite-education.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/720394-disdavantages-elite-education.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/825152-disadvantages-elite-education.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/825152-disadvantages-elite-education.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Being to elitist to talk to the plumber sounds like a personal problem more than a school problem.</p>

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<p>So this article is about some egghead who can’t make small talk with an average joe? Sounds like a trivial issue at most. The suggestion that elite universities foster elitism is untrue. People who would be elitist anyway flock to elite universities. People who are well-grounded don’t let their success go to their heads.</p>

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<p>He talks about elite schools not setting up kids to ask the big questions. What are the big questions?</p>

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<p>^^If, in the author’s opinion, an elite education makes it so you can’t converse with a plumber I guess one of the big questions is “How much will it cost for you to fix my plumbing?”</p>

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<p>ha. but seriously</p>

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<p>“My education taught me to believe that people who didn’t go to an Ivy League or equivalent school weren’t worth talking to, regardless of their class. I was given the unmistakable message that such people were beneath me.”</p>

<p>Umm…I have a hard time believing that…I feel like that just might be the author’s own personal beliefs. </p>

<p>I’ve known many that graduated with an Ivy degree or equivalent and don’t condescend those that didn’t graduate from a top university. I’m pretty sure the university isn’t sending out a message of snobbish elitism.</p>

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<p>This article always gets re-posted every once in a while on CC.</p>

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<p>^ Yes, I do recall at least two other threads on this topic.</p>

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<p>don’t kill it, its new to me and i would get internet yelled at for bumping the old ones. what are the big questions he’s talking about or is it a metaphor or do they not exist?</p>

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<p>silverturtle: Unfortunately, admissions processes aren’t as holistic as most schools lead everyone on to be.</p>

<p>“The suggestion that elite universities foster elitism is untrue. People who would be elitist anyway flock to elite universities. People who are well-grounded don’t let their success go to their heads.”</p>

<p>Your point is true to an extent, but I would argue that unfortunately, success does to go to the vast majority of peoples’ heads. I applaud those smart, successful individuals out there who are “well-grounded” enough to ignore the sirensong of the Ivy League, but they are indeed hard to come by. </p>

<p>Smart people know they’re smart, and even though not all Ivy students are by any means elitist, they’re definitely aware of the privileged position they’re in relative to the rest of society.</p>

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<p>Even a superficial glance through a decisions thread on CC will reveal that significant consideration is given to subjective factors.</p>

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<p>^I know decent weight is given to ECs and other soft factors. My point is that SAT numbers are still way too influential these days.</p>