I thought this was a very good article. As I read it I was able draw parallels to my own experience. The criticism of the culture at elite schools is a dead on critique of the culture at my school, though I don’t see my education as having been particularly elite.
My early “success” in grades fed on itself and, more than a source of personal pride, my ability to get grades and meet expectations became a large part of how I viewed my self worth. Early momentum translated into an expectation for further quantifiable excellence in high school. I jumped through all the hoops expected and my resume opened the doors I hoped.
But unrealized at the time, I see now that I allowed my ego to grow unchecked based largely on an above average ability to take multiple choice tests and also as a result of having developed a short term memory well suited to test taking.
I think feelings of intellectual superiority are really the same as feelings of moral superiority since the individual who deems himself superior in most any regard isn’t likely to define careful boundaries.
Anyway, it turned out I wasn’t as prepared for the college experience as I thought, or one might have predicted based on my standardized test scores. It was earth shattering to only be average.
I guess I said all that to say I really enjoyed the article and it resonated.
