📚 Excellent Sheep

📚 Excellent Sheep

BOOK INFORMATION

Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life
William Deresiewicz
2014
245 pages (hardcover), 272 pages (paperback)
Education, Social Criticism, Philosophy of Education

KEY TAKEAWAYS

HOOK

In the race to build perfect resumes and gain admission to elite colleges, America's brightest students are being transformed into excellent sheep; accomplished, compliant, and utterly lost about what they truly want from life or what education should really mean.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Elite education has become a high-pressure system that produces privileged but purposeless students who excel at jumping through hoops but lack the critical thinking, passion, and sense of purpose that should define true education and meaningful lives.

SUMMARY

Excellent Sheep addresses a fundamental crisis in American higher education: the transformation of elite education from a path to intellectual growth and self-discovery into a high-pressure system that produces accomplished but soulless students. Deresiewicz, a former Yale professor, argues that prestigious universities have become obsessed with prestige and rankings at the expense of genuine learning, creating students who are excellent at following rules but lost when it comes to finding meaning and purpose in their lives.

The book begins with a devastating critique of the elite education system. Deresiewicz shows how the admissions process favors wealthy students who can afford the endless extracurricular activities, test preparation, and "enrichment programs" that make applications stand out. Once admitted, these students enter an environment that treats them as customers rather than learners, with grade inflation, contingent faculty, and an emphasis on research over teaching. The result is a system that perpetuates privilege while failing to provide the intellectual challenge and personal growth that should define higher education.

Deresiewicz then explores what education should be. He argues passionately for the value of liberal education and the humanities, which he sees as essential for developing critical thinking, empathy, and self-understanding. He contrasts this with the current focus on career preparation and vocational training, which he believes produces students who are skilled at specific tasks but lack the broader intellectual foundation needed for meaningful lives and engaged citizenship.

The author examines the human cost of this system, drawing on extensive interviews with students who feel trapped by expectations, pressure, and privilege. These students are so busy building perfect resumes that they have no time for self-reflection, intellectual exploration, or developing genuine passions. The result is what Deresiewicz calls "excellent sheep" students who are accomplished, compliant, and heading meekly in the same direction with no idea why they're doing it.

The book's unique contribution lies in its combination of personal experience, student testimony, and broader social analysis. Deresiewicz writes as both an insider and critic, having taught at Yale while recognizing the system's flaws. He provides a powerful indictment of how elite education has lost its way, while also offering a vision of what education could and should be. A process of self-discovery, intellectual growth, and preparation for a meaningful life rather than just a successful career.

INSIGHTS

• Elite education perpetuates social inequality rather than mitigating it, favoring wealthy students who can afford the endless resume-building activities that admissions offices value
• The pressure to build perfect resumes leaves students no time for self-reflection, intellectual exploration, or developing genuine passions and interests
• Elite universities treat students as customers rather than learners, with grade inflation and a focus on prestige over genuine education
• The humanities are essential for developing critical thinking, empathy, and understanding—qualities that vocational training alone cannot provide
• Many elite students feel trapped by expectations and privilege, accomplished but lost about what they truly want from life
• The admissions process rewards conformity and hoop-jumping rather than genuine intellectual curiosity or independent thinking
• Liberal education should be about self-discovery and intellectual growth, not just career preparation or skill acquisition
• Good teaching and mentorship are crucial elements missing from many elite institutions, where research often takes precedence over teaching
• The system produces students who are excellent at following rules but lack the ability to think independently or question assumptions
• True education should challenge students' fundamental beliefs and help them develop their own philosophy of life

FRAMEWORKS & MODELS

The Elite Education System Critique Framework

This framework analyzes the flaws in the elite education system:

Components:

How it works:
The framework shows how each element of the elite education system contributes to the problem. The admissions process selects for certain types of students, the educational environment fails to challenge them properly, and the overall experience produces graduates who are successful by conventional measures but lacking in deeper meaning and purpose.

Evidence and reasoning:
The framework is based on Deresiewicz's experience as a Yale professor, interviews with students, and analysis of educational trends. He provides numerous examples of how the system works and its effects on students.

Significance and utility:
This framework helps readers understand the systemic nature of the problem rather than seeing it as isolated issues. It reveals how different aspects of elite education work together to produce the "excellent sheep" phenomenon.

Examples from the book:

• Students taking endless AP classes, participating in multiple extracurriculars, and attending expensive enrichment programs to build impressive resumes
• Universities relying on contingent faculty while hiring a few star researchers for prestige
• Students feeling lost and purposeless despite their impressive accomplishments and credentials

The Purpose of Education Framework

This framework presents Deresiewicz's vision of what education should be:

Components:

How it works:
This framework contrasts with the current focus on career preparation and resume-building. It suggests that education should be a transformative experience that helps students develop as whole people, not just acquire specific skills or credentials.

Evidence and reasoning:
The framework draws on traditional concepts of liberal education and Deresiewicz's analysis of what students truly need for fulfilling lives. He argues that the current system has lost sight of these fundamental purposes.

Significance and utility:
This framework provides an alternative vision for education that challenges current trends and priorities. It offers a way to think about education that emphasizes human development over instrumental goals.

Examples from the book:

• The value of studying humanities for developing empathy and critical thinking
• The importance of time for reflection and intellectual exploration
• The need for education to challenge students' fundamental beliefs and assumptions

The Privilege and Inequality Framework

This framework examines how elite education perpetuates social inequality:

Components:

How it works:
The framework shows how elite education, despite its meritocratic rhetoric, actually reinforces existing social inequalities. It reveals the various mechanisms by which privilege is reproduced through the educational system.

Evidence and reasoning:
The framework is supported by data on student demographics, analysis of admissions criteria, and examination of how elite institutions operate. Deresiewicz shows how the system works in practice to benefit the already privileged.

Significance and utility:
This framework challenges the myth of meritocracy in American education and reveals how educational inequality is perpetuated. It provides a way to understand the broader social implications of elite education.

Examples from the book:

• The disproportionate representation of wealthy students at elite universities
• The advantages that come from expensive test preparation and enrichment programs
• How elite institutions rely on wealthy "full-freight" students for financial reasons

KEY THEMES

• The myth of meritocracy: The book develops the theme that elite education perpetuates the myth of meritocracy while actually reinforcing existing social hierarchies and privileges.
• Education as self-discovery: Throughout the book, Deresiewicz explores how true education should be a process of self-discovery rather than just career preparation or credentialing.
• The cost of privilege: A recurring theme is how privilege traps students in a system that provides material advantages but spiritual and intellectual poverty.
• The value of humanities: The author develops a passionate defense of the humanities as essential for developing critical thinking, empathy, and understanding.
• The failure of institutional priorities: The book explores how elite universities have lost sight of their educational mission in pursuit of prestige, rankings, and financial stability.
• The need for authentic learning: Deresiewicz examines the difference between authentic learning that transforms students and the mechanical hoop-jumping that characterizes much of elite education.

COMPARISON TO OTHER WORKS

• vs. "The Price of Admission" by Daniel Golden: While Golden focuses specifically on admissions practices and preferences in elite colleges, Deresiewicz provides a broader critique of the entire educational experience and its impact on students' lives.
• vs. "Paying for the Party" by Elizabeth Armstrong and Laura Hamilton: Armstrong and Hamilton examine how social class affects the college experience, while Deresiewicz focuses more on the intellectual and philosophical dimensions of elite education.
• vs. "Academically Adrift" by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa: Arum and Roksa provide empirical research on limited learning in college, while Deresiewicz offers a more personal and philosophical critique of the system's values and priorities.
• vs. "The Trouble with Diversity" by Walter Benn Michaels: Michaels critiques diversity initiatives in higher education, while Deresiewicz focuses on the broader educational philosophy and purpose of elite institutions.
• vs. "Beyond the University" by Michael Roth: Roth defends liberal education against its critics, while Deresiewicz offers a more radical critique of how elite institutions have failed to provide genuine liberal education.

QUOTES

"The system manufactures students who are smart and talented and driven, yes, but also anxious, timid, and lost, with little intellectual curiosity and a stunted sense of purpose: trapped in a bubble of privilege, heading meekly in the same direction, great at what they're doing but with no idea why they're doing it."

This quote from the introduction encapsulates the book's core thesis. It reveals how the elite education system produces students who are accomplished but lacking in purpose and direction.

"Education is more than the acquisition of marketable skills, and you are more than your ability to contribute to your employer's bottom line or the nation's GDP, no matter what the rhetoric of politicians or executives would have you think."

This quote appears in the context of Deresiewicz's defense of liberal education. It reveals his belief that education should be about human development rather than just economic utility.

"The humanities are what we have, in a secular society, instead of religion. They are compatible with religion, but they have also, in important ways, supplanted it."

This quote highlights Deresiewicz's passionate defense of the humanities. It reveals his view that humanities serve a crucial role in modern society that goes beyond career preparation.

"From someone who was in the process of transferring out of Stanford: 'For many students, rising to the absolute top means being consumed by the system. I've seen my peers sacrifice health, relationships, exploration, activities that can't be quantified and are essential for developing souls and hearts, for grades and resume building.'"

This quote, from a student interview, illustrates the human cost of the elite education system. It reveals how the pressure to succeed leads students to sacrifice essential elements of personal growth and well-being.

"You won't be able to recognize the things you really care about until you have released your grip on all the things that you've been taught to care about."

This quote appears in the context of Deresiewicz's discussion of self-discovery. It reveals his belief that students need to break free from societal expectations to find their true passions and purpose.

HABITS

• Question educational priorities: Develop the habit of questioning whether educational activities are focused on genuine learning or just resume-building and credentialing.
• Value intellectual exploration: Make time for reading, thinking, and exploring ideas without regard to their practical utility or career relevance.
• Seek authentic learning experiences: Look for educational opportunities that challenge your assumptions and encourage deep thinking rather than just memorization or skill acquisition.
• Reflect on purpose and meaning: Regularly take time to reflect on what truly matters to you and what you want from your education and life, beyond conventional measures of success.
• Engage with humanities: Incorporate literature, philosophy, history, and the arts into your education to develop empathy, critical thinking, and cultural understanding.
• Resist pressure to conform: Develop the courage to pursue your genuine interests even if they don't fit the conventional path to success.
• Find mentors who care: Seek out teachers and mentors who are committed to genuine teaching and student development rather than just research or institutional prestige.
• Balance achievement with well-being: Remember that health, relationships, and personal growth are more important than perfect grades or impressive credentials.
• Think critically about the system: Question the assumptions and priorities of the educational system rather than accepting them uncritically.
• Define success for yourself: Develop your own definition of success based on your values and goals rather than adopting society's conventional measures.

KEY ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

• Prioritize self-discovery over resume-building: Make time in your educational journey for exploring different subjects and activities without worrying about how they will look on your resume; focus on finding what genuinely interests and inspires you.
• Engage deeply with humanities: Take courses in literature, philosophy, history, and the arts even if they don't seem directly relevant to your career; these subjects develop critical thinking and empathy that are essential for meaningful life and work.
• Seek authentic teaching relationships: Look for professors and mentors who are committed to teaching and student development; build relationships that go beyond just getting good grades.
• Challenge institutional priorities: Question the emphasis on rankings, prestige, and career preparation; advocate for educational experiences that prioritize genuine learning and personal growth.
• Create space for reflection: Schedule regular time for thinking about your values, goals, and purpose; don't let the pressure of constant achievement prevent you from considering what you truly want from life.
• Resist conformity pressure: Have the courage to pursue interests and activities that may not be conventionally prestigious but are meaningful to you; don't feel pressured to follow the same path as everyone else.
• Balance achievement with well-being: Remember that health, relationships, and personal growth are more important than perfect credentials; don't sacrifice essential elements of your life for resume-building.
• Develop critical thinking skills: Practice questioning assumptions, analyzing arguments, and thinking independently; these skills are more valuable than specific knowledge that may become obsolete.
• Build diverse experiences: Seek out experiences and perspectives different from your own; this will help you develop empathy and understanding that go beyond your privileged background.
• Define your own success: Create your own definition of success based on your values and goals rather than adopting society's conventional measures of achievement and status.

REFERENCES

Excellent Sheep draws from Deresiewicz's experience as a professor at Yale, extensive interviews with students, and engagement with educational theory and criticism. Key influences and referenced areas include:

• Educational philosophy: Building on traditions of liberal education and the work of thinkers like John Dewey and Martha Nussbaum on the purpose of education
• Social criticism: Drawing from critical perspectives on inequality and privilege in American society, including the work of Pierre Bourdieu on cultural capital and social reproduction
• Higher education research: Incorporating studies on college admissions, student experience, and educational outcomes from researchers like Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa
• Student development theory: Engaging with theories of intellectual and personal development in college students
• Cultural criticism: Building on critiques of meritocracy and the American dream, including the work of Christopher Lasch and Richard Sennett
• Personal experience: Drawing extensively on Deresiewicz's experience as both a student and professor at elite institutions
• Student interviews: Incorporating testimony from numerous students about their experiences and feelings about elite education
• Educational history: Examining the historical development of American higher education and its changing purposes and priorities
• Psychology and sociology: Incorporating research on privilege, pressure, and their effects on student development and well-being
• Educational reform literature: Engaging with contemporary debates about educational reform and the future of higher education

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