The Disadvantages of an Elite Education
I just read a great essay by William Deresiewicz, an associate professor of English at Yale. His message is clear: heavy-league education is flawed.
Here is the killer sentence:
It’s no coincidence that our current president [Bush], the apotheosis of entitled mediocrity, went to Yale.
Via Sébastien Paquet.
See also my posts It may not matter all that much where you go to college and The 2 myths getting students into heavy-league schools.
Disclaimer. I am a University of Toronto graduate. The closest thing Canada has to an Elite education, I would guess.
The essay itself is a bit longer than I have time for at the moment to read, but the quote is interesting:
… our current president … went to Yale.
I’m still looking for the disadvantage of going to Yale…
Comment by Parand — 19/6/2008 @ 15:27
He went to Yale, got a big fat job because he was entitled to it.
That’s what the essay says.
Comment by Daniel Lemire — 19/6/2008 @ 15:30
Oh, please. There’s certainly some valid starting points of criticism in there, but then he goes off the deep end. I’m no elite-school apologist, but by the end, I found the essay extreme to the point of, dare I say it, ridiculousness.
For a more reasoned and balanced criticism of the current state of the Ivies, I’d recommend my esteemed colleague’s book, Excellence Without a Soul by Harry Lewis.
Comment by Michael Mitzenmacher — 19/6/2008 @ 23:38
Struggling with this very issue this morning…thanks for the link.
Comment by Janet Clarey — 20/6/2008 @ 9:08