William Deresiewicz Analysis

Throughout high school, students are prepped for college. Almost the entire curriculum revolves around getting into or being prepared for college. Many of these students are independent and intelligent individuals. College may be the perfect place for them. Linda Lee contemplates the fact that even though statistics show that college graduates make the most money, the statistics also point out that these students were “the brightest and hardest-working” students. There are also students that fall between the cracks of these statistics. Some students may be skilled in certain areas, but do not make the test scores to apply for a university. Others may be on the

People attend college or university for several reasons, including exploring hundreds of career opportunities, pursuing their passions, learning critical thinking skills, and achieving their maximum potential. According to Dr. Richard Vedder’s, “For Many, College Isn’t Worth It”, attending college or university is not worth the time, effort, or money – Dr. Richard Vedder wants to solely focus resources on private universities and institutions. Vedder describes how many graduates with Bachelor’s degrees do not even obtain jobs in their specific field and how they will never start a career in their area of academic study. In his article, Richard Vedder describes how there should be more stringent standards placed on college undergraduates; he believes that public universities are not necessary and only private, more elite universities should remain operational. I personally believe that obtaining a college degree from an accredited university is worth the risk and the money, not only for one’s self but for society as a whole. Instead of shutting down undergraduate universities, we should consider raising collegiate admission standards throughout the nation.

Many middle to lower class families cannot afford to send their kids to school and with Ivy League schools like Harvard and Princeton giving out generous financial packages to their student, who mostly come from wealthy background. The poorer students are on the losing end because they are not given the opportunity for aid. As Terry Hartle, the senior vice president of the American Council of Education, says, "Smart poor kids go to college at the same rate as stupid rich kids." What this is saying is that the wealthy families have vastly more opportunity to succeed in the college system even though they have equal or lesser smarts. Well respected schools such as NYU are now admitting students based on the financial fit not by merit.

Every fall millions of American adolescents gear up to apply for the thousands of colleges and universities across the nation. For many students this process is a simple-natural progression through a linear educational track in which no extra preparation, beyond a paper application, is required. However, for many students college preparation can begin as early as conception. Alexandria Robbins follows the stories of nine students from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. Whitman is known for and could be summarized by a simple term in which Robbins’ book is also titled: Overachievers. The author explores the hectic nature of helicopter parenting, bureaucratic admission processes, the culture of Ivy (a term describing the upper

College: What is Was, Is and Should Be, by Andrew Delbanco takes both a historical and analytical approach to the evolution of higher education institutions in the United States. While thought provoking, some of his views balance on the verge of extremity. Many colleges provide students with the skills necessary for what is happening in society at that moment. This is exemplified in how the application process has changed from the earliest colleges to today. Also, when colleges were first introduced into society, students were recommended by members of society to attend a school, which is much different than the process today. Another aspect of what Delbanco discusses in his book is the disparity between a small liberal arts college and

Journalist Alexandra Robbins ventures back to her old high school to examine the competitive efforts students are having to take to compete on the battlefield that is the education system in her book, The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids. Robbins explores the lives of multiple students who are stressed and pressured to maintain good grades and get into an Ivy League college. This text allows for intriguing insight on how the educational system has “spiraled out of control” and displays the different measures students must now take to be the best. Robbins’ The Overachievers is an eye-opening bestseller which exposes the social pressures and anxieties students must overcome in their high school lives as they attempt to impress and prove to colleges they are worthy of acceptance.

In Professor X’s essay, In the basement of Ivory Tower, (X) Professor X goes into great detail, arguing that his students have the desire to maintain high academic standards, for example, to receive a promotion, to further their career, or because it is a job requirement. However, these same students cannot possibly pass their classes due to their lack of educational abilities. Initially, I found myself believing the author was hostile and unhappy in his career, although the more I read and re-read this article I found myself shifting opinions, and I began to appreciate what a controversial topic college education truly is. Professor X discusses how these students are unfit for college. Like Professor X, I believe that college isn’t for everyone. Society has created expectations that everyone needs to attend college. Society has encourage our citizens to have personal expectations without putting forth the work, and society has also helped us lose track of the apprentice programs we once relied on.

I have always known that I wanted to attend a top-tier university. The other details came later; the small size, the proximity to an urban hub, and my major itself. For a while, I was convinced that it would not happen; that I just wouldn’t get in. Now, I realize that I have an opportunity to do so. This is an opportunity I do not intend to waste.

It shows how ivy colleges prefer legacy admissions. Although it is not illegal, but recently “two legal theories” are offered under which “legacy preferences could be challenged at both public and private institutions under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause (Ladeswki-578).” The civil act of 1866 prevents the states from giving titles of nobility. Minorities since most of elite university’s alumni belong to upper class families. Americans are concerned about such type of practices as “it creates doubt about institution’s commitment to meritocracy and equal opportunity (Mullen-47).” On the contrary, three out of four Americans oppose ancestry based discrimination so they can create equal opportunities for lower class families to get into elite colleges.

The general argument made by author Kansas City Star in their work, Should colleges rethink quest for superkids? Is that kind and considerate kids are not getting accepted to Ivy league colleges in favor of super driven kids. More specifically Kansas City Star, argues that kids with average GPAs but do lots of charity work or care for their family by having multiple jobs or caring for a sick relative. These kids are doing charity work out of their hearts no because it looks good on a college application. They write, “they’re looking at the whole person, not just grades and after school activities.” In this passage, Kansas City Star is suggesting that elite colleges should and maybe will take kindness and other traits like this into consideration.

Deresiewicz points out that a statement most people feel compelled to ask students regarding their major is “What are you going to do with that?” (28) There is a strong pressure to get through college with excellent grades and to start at a high paying job right after graduation. Deresiewicz argues that “few of them approach their studies with a sense of intellectual mission” because they are focusing on volunteering and internships (30). The author is putting down students for being anxious about what society has already planned for them. How can someone not worry about a job if that is all that is talked about with them? From personal experience, most adults will start a conversation by asking where I want to go to college and what I want

Sophie Tsui ENGL 1012W-070 Mrs. Bird June 1, 2018 #1 You Talking to Me As I read William Deresiewicz’s article “You Talkin to Me”, I was amazed by how much of his themes connected to my life. Deresiewicz begins his writing with an anecdote of reading a student’s paper. The author states that the girl uses sophisticated words in the conclusion to try to prove to others that she is an intelligent student. She probably worries that others will judge her differently if she does not use complicated language.

Mr. Deresiewicz provides his experience with his students to show what his observation of the average Ivy League attendee is to be. That conclusion is that they are neither passionate, or curious about the ideas and concepts they are taught. We can trust his opinion on this because of his reference to the years he has been in the system. He then comes to the conclusion that a superb education does not have to be attained by attending an Ivy League school, “I’ve come to see that what we really need is to create one where you don’t have to go to the Ivy League, or any private college, to get a first-rate education” (209). With the previous knowledge of his time spent in the elite school surrounding, Deresiewicz effectively convinces the audience that an Ivy League education is not necessarily the best there is to offer. William gives the readers an insightful and reliable background that allowed the readers to gain his trust and be dramatically persuaded by his observations and opinions.

For the past half a century education has been heralded as the key to success. Parents across the country preach to their children that, providing they acquire a college education and degree, the world is their oyster. The documentary “Ivory Tower”, directed by Andrew Rossi, calls that whole notion into question. The biographical film opens at the University of Harvard, the nations oldest institution of higher learning, on move-in day. Hundreds of new students and their parents flood the campus grounds of one of America’s most prestigious universities. From there, in order to provide a complete overview of the complete college experience, several other types of colleges are shown; such as community, 2-year, and vocational schools. Each is examined in turn to determine both the positive and negative aspects.

Today colleges are growing more and more necessary for attaining a solid path towards a successful career, yet the rapidly increasing cost of tuition is driving students away from their dream of attending college, due to the preposterous amount of money that is now being demanded by colleges across the nation and world as a whole. It is sad to see students being turned away from a successful future due to the money-hungry nature of the universities that dot the globe. More and more impossible it is becoming to have a “rags-to-riches” scenario that used to highlight the American Dream, as if a student doesn’t have the riches to afford a higher education and the tuition that is drug upon its coattails, then our society is doomed to be clothed in rags forever, unless major changes are brought about to restructure and end the indefatigable growth of tuition rates across the board.