This essay, written by Yale's own Bill Deresiewicz, is causing a sort of rift amongst friends. Nothing bad. I don't want to start anything with y'all, but I guess you should all read it if you haven't since it seems to be all the buzz!
"The Disadvantages of an Elite Education"
11 hours ago
4 comments:
Every once in a while someone needs some publicity and/or did not get to their favorite Ivy League institution (this guy is the former). Then they write an "omg Ivy Leagues are elitist and grade-inflated and not worth it" article. And then Ivy grads vehemently defend their poor ole alma maters in a way that makes the rest of the world feel even more smug and superior about "not wasting their time and money on an ivy" or whatever because "everyone's opinion is equally valid" and "look at all of those ivy grads that fail" and whatever else.
Bleh. So many empirically problematic/incorrect items there it's not worth time refuting.
for the record, the author is widely and regularly published, and is better known for other pieces so...I'm not sure if this was a particularly bitter note against the Ivy League.
Eh, I don't know if it excuses him from repeating silly stuff :).
Three examples:
1. I'm really tired of people of complaining about grade inflation at high-tier school. This somehow implies that you're supposed to collect the top 2-4% of students in the country/world (number so small bcs not everyone who gets in matriculates) and then make classes hard enough to put them on the bell(ish) curve. If I knew that I was likely to get C's at Yale, I would not go there and neither would most other folks.
2. This guy is in academia, a place that frequently fosters, encourages and rewards elitism. His surprising realization that he's an elitist falls sort of flat.
3. People get into Ivies for being (a) smart and (b) more importantly, able to learn. One's first conversation or two with one's plumber may turn out dumb, but afterwards (assuming one cares a whit, which one should), it's not very hard.
yup, yup, yup. I mean there are problems, and there are good points. and he didn't get tenure so maybe he's a bit bitter. I was posting it more 'cuz I felt like you'd encounter it someday...may as well be earlier! it's been out for a while...
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