I do not agree with one or the other. There are certain parts of both essay that I agree with. While the idea of an Ivy League college is sound, its actuality is far from its intention. William Deresiewicz states, “Elite schools like to boast that they teach their students how to think, but all they mean is that they train them in the analytic and rhetorical skills that are necessary for success in business and the professions.” These schools are designed to prepare students for higher level jobs outside of school. Students at Ivy League schools do not learn to be creative and to think in a way that differs from the standard. Ivy Leagues are similar to standardized tests. Both examine the accepted archetype such as math, science, and reading comprehension. Neither of these scrutinize the more artistic side of the mind. An art student or a musician is just as talented as though who excel at standardized tests; it’s just a different form of intelligence. …show more content…
J.D. Chapman reveals, “They are also unanimous on this point: they are proud of their educations, but do not conclude from that pride that an Ivy League education is “overrated” in comparison.” An Ivy League college is similar to an Honors college. It provides a learning environment for the most scholarly advanced students to learn and grow with other students just like them. This can be beneficial in a few ways. Students and teachers can move at a faster pace in class and have intelligent and constructive class discussions. With a wide range of brilliant students that come from a variety of backgrounds, the conversion will hear many different types of perceptive on
Millionaire investors do not typically invest in poor people causing many these hard working individuals to continue to live in poverty. This is just one way the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Ivy League, private, and overall prestigious schools cost a fortune. Students at these schools receive a better education and typically find better, higher paying jobs. Students of middle and lower class have to settle for low paying jobs simply because they could not afford to go to a school with great prestige.
One of the most strived for things in life is academic excellence however the path to it is never easy. Author Thompson Ford’s article “How To Understand Acting White” outlines Stuart Bucks arguments about the irony of desegregation in education. A separate essay written by, Alfred Lubrano, “The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts” has similar ironies about the average college student. If Ford was to read Lubrano’s essay, Ford would come to a more complex conclusion by incorporating arguments and concepts from Lubrano’s essay. Ford may utilize Lubrano’s essay to expand on certain concepts such as the proximity effect, socioeconomics, and the level of education in top tier schools to further explain the “acting white” phenomenon from his own article.
This summary is about Linda Lee’s essay “The Case against College”. Lee has several great points about life and how college isn’t for everybody. Lee feels strongly that not everyone needs to attend college and get a degree. Throughout the essay Lee is knowledgeable on the information and data she is mentioning. She does a great job at answering questions that came to mind when reading the essay.
In Should The Obama Generation Drop Out Charles Murray talks about the flaws found in the Obama education plan . He brings to the attention of the public the fact that many student in America graduate lacking the skills necessary for the proper college education. Murray goes on to argue that in today 's society students who graduate from High-school go on to technical college to pursue a vocational education in their field of study; whereas, older generations have pursued an all around education, enrolling in classes that were irrelevant to the career they were pursuing. Murray claims that if you test the vast majority of Americans (including himself) in the more rigorous subjects, they would most likely fail. Murray mentions that he does
Brent Staple’s essay "Why Colleges Shower Their Students with A's" had various elements that helped provided evidence and persuade the readers. The first thing I noticed when reading this essay was the comparison between the marketplace and college. This comparison helps to develop Staple’s argument because it explains something that is unfamiliar by comparing it to something that is more familiar. I can assume that the target readers were business men and women. Since I am unfamiliar with some business terms, I found that this essay explained something that was unfamiliar with something else that was unfamiliar.
“College in America” Caroline Bird thinks that a college education may not be the best choice for all high school students because college education does not bring about social equality, it does not benefit them financially, and it is not guaranteed that college will lead them to an elite profession. First of all, high school students are expected to bring about social equality through four rigorous years in college. However, college is an expensive way to categorize the highs and lows in society. It is pressuring to younger students to pursue a higher education that only a few could achieve, and is also difficult for them to established an identity in society. Second, a college education does not benefit the youth financially because it is
Gerald Graff’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism” contemplates the age-old idea that street smarts are anti-intellectual. However, as Graff points out, “schools and colleges are at fault for missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into academic smarts.” (244). What Graff means by this is that being street smart does not mean a person lacks intelligence. Rather, educational institutions need to find a way to effectively ‘tap into’ this different format of intellectualism to produce academic intelligence.
Martha Nussbaum, then reminds the reader that these types of colleges are very active in class and to stay afloat in them, it’s highly recommended that you participate in class, no longer can just relax and look out of the class’s windows and expect to pass, “is its characteristic emphasis on the active participation of the child in inquiry and questioning.” This relates back to what Ronald Barnett wrote about. Both writers are trying to convince their readers that college is no place to fool around. If you plan on succeeding you must push yourself, ask questions, participate in classes and do hours of library work that might just lead you nowhere. College is a time to grow and isn’t always
Going to college for many students is just a normal part of life. It is what will enable them to get an education that eventually will lead to get a well-paid job and the resources and the status to live a comfortable life. But for college professor, Andrew Delbanco, the American college has a higher purpose. In the article “College at Risk”, Delbanco states that colleges should be promoting critical thinking among students, through knowledge of the past and the interaction with each other; as well as, help them discover their talents and passions and figure out what they want to do in life. This type of education is called liberal arts and for Delbanco, it represents the ideal education.
When it come to picking a college it's going off based on what the student environment, learning type, and etc. I believe another essay that ties into Liz Addison Essay is “ Colleges Prepares People for Life” by Freeman Hrabowski. Freeman Hrabowski, president of University of Maryland, in his essay he argues “echoed an increasingly common refrain that college is expensive, that students are taking on unmanageable debt and that they too often graduate unprepared for the world of work” (259). According to both Addison and Hrabowski, college is expensive, but Addison believes that there are ways around paying a high cost of going to college. In addition, Hrabowski feels that even though colleges has ways around paying high cost that either way it goes it would be a bad investment, due to, a student dropping out, or not passing a class.
Liz Addison’s essay, “Two Years Better Than Four,” was first published in the New York Times Magazine back in September of 2007. Addison went to two community colleges and majored in biology; earning her degree in 2008. In her essay, she is responding to Rick Perlstein's article “What’s the Matter with College?” in which he claims, “College as America used to understand it is coming to an end” (211). Addison refutes Perlstein’s claims by saying, “My guess, reading between the lines, is that Mr. Perlstein has never set foot in an American community college” (212).
“3 Reasons College Still Matters” by Andrew Delbanco 3) “Surely, every American college ought to defend this waning possibility, whatever we call it. And an American college is only true to itself when it opens its doors to all - the rich, the middle, and the poor - who have the capacity to embrace the precious chance to think and reflect before life engulfs them. If we are all serious about democracy, that means everyone.” 4) In this part of the writing Andrew Delbanco tries to persuade his audience by using the pattern of logic that agrees with the overall argument but also considers another striking point of view to strengthen the argument (While these arguments are convincing, they must also consider…).
The most beneficial thing in life is to study something that interests you. When students are choosing what college to further their studies they consider: the cost, the social status of the school, and the programs the college carries. Professor Mark Edmunson gives his message on what students should consider in his article "Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?", published on August 22nd 2011 in Issue 74 in The Oxford American. This essay is about Edmundson's viewpoint on education and that it is hard to get one. But if you do something you enjoy doing and work hard at it you will become successful.
“Blue Collar Brilliance” After Graduating High School students have a choice of going to college or not. College is a place where students want to be educated or have a better job in the future. Some people believe that students who go to college more intelligence than students who go working after graduating high school. However, going to college does not means all students as intelligence; because students might go to colleges to have a degree, but not to be intelligence. Sometimes intelligences can be measures by the level of school a student completed, but for a blue collar job they need to practice and observe in the field to be able to perform the job on they own preference.
Growing up, I was surrounded by competition and was always pushed to have good grades and to study often. My parents always told me that going to a University would make them proud. Every time they mentioned colleges, they would always talk about “UC’s”. My parents believed that obtaining a degree from a prestigious or high ranking University would guarantee me a high paying job in a wonderful career field. Aside from getting a fantastic job, I always thought that that student’s with the highest grades or highest IQ’s were the most successful ones.