Friday Reads: Excellent Sheep

Dr. Stanley has been reading up on "elite" higher education in Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life by William Deresiewicz.

David Stanley is reading Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation
of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life
by William Deresiewicz

An interesting overview of the evolution of elite colleges and universities and the effect it has had on their student populations. If you’re interested in finding out what made some universities elite you can read about their metamorphoses here. A well-written narrative of how schools began as places for students to experiment, reflect, and gain a broad view of the world but, ultimately, became businesses to aid students in narrow paths for financial success. The elite student has been molded from a young age to realize that affluence has its advantages and that failure is not an option. The elite schools have realized this and work to ensure that they remain firm in their beliefs. This is evidenced beginning with the admissions process and progressing through to graduation. Should students go through the higher education process with a myopic view of being trained for a specific, high-paying career or should they be given a chance to experience life outside of their comfort-zones and realize that personal fulfillment is sometimes more than a hefty paycheck? Some interesting hypotheses in this book that shed light on the machinations behind the “ivy-covered walls.”