Was My Elite Education Worth It?

"In June 1997, when I graduated from Horace Mann, one of New York's most prestigious private schools, the New York Times published a story about our class that began as follows: 'They were, by some accounts, the class of mediocrity.' A reporter had tagged along with our valedictorian, Loren Easton, and found the freckled 17-year-old wrestling with disappointment, a sense that we hadn't lived up to the school's expectations."

"This obsession with achievement is familiar to anyone who has been in the orbit of an elite private school. Since time immemorial, or at least since the mid-20th century, affluent parents with soaring ambitions for their children have jockeyed for precious slots at schools prized for vaulting grads to the Ivy League and into illustrious careers."

"When the president of the class above mine got into Harvard, the only person visibly prouder than him was his mother, who immediately traipsed through the halls wearing a crimson sweatshirt emblazoned with the university's crest."

"My father, a corporate lawyer who often reminded his sons that 'a man can never be too thin, too rich, or too well dressed,' worked his way up and out of the middle class without the benefit of brand-name schools."

Graduates from elite schools often feel inadequate despite their achievements. In 1997, a valedictorian expressed disappointment over their class's performance, feeling they fell short of expectations. Although 44% gained admission to Ivy League schools, the focus on achievement overshadowed their successes. This pressure is a common experience among affluent families, where parents' ambitions for their children create a competitive environment. The narrative reflects a broader societal obsession with prestigious educational institutions and the perceived value of their graduates.

Read at Intelligencer