Christie Cantor

The Truth Behind Joining the Leagues of the Ivys

Harvard. Typically when people hear this name, they think of the prestigious institution
located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So, it was to my surprise when the image of a burning flag
adorned with Harvards emblem is the first thing I see above William Deresiewiczs article titled
Dont Send Your Kid to the Ivy League - The nations top colleges are turning our kids into
zombies.
William Deresiewicz graduated from Columbia University, was an English teacher at Yale,
and has published multiple books. What spurred the writer to talk about this topic was the
culmination of a few things. For one, he says I have witnessed in many of my own students
and heard from the hundreds of young people whom I have spoken with on campuses [the reality
of what going to an Ivy League school is entails] (Deresiewicz). His experience working with
Ivy League students gives him a unique and rare perspective into what those students actually
think about their education. It was 24 years in the making, all of which consisted of working and
studying at Ivy Leagues, for William, to think about what this system does to kids and how
they can escape from it, what it does to our society and how we can dismantle it. (Deresiewicz).
Even with all of that experience and first hand knowledge, William still didnt write about this
until recently.
The most recent catalyst for writing this piece was his day long visit to Yale Universitys
admissions office where he helped look through applications and either accept or deny students
into the school. He noticed how the candidates were chosen, what the resumes were filled with,
and the types of people that applied and got in. Deresiewiczs observations of the applications,
experience talking with todays students, and long academic career in the Ivy Leagues led him to
speak out against the education system, highlighting the corruption within the elite schools and
what needs to be done to correct it.
This piece was published to The New Republic on July 21, 2014. The New Republic is a
liberal online news publication; it reflects a democratic perspective on international issues. In
todays day and age, younger people are getting more and more involved in talking about social
issues. This young generation tends to lean more on the democratic side when it comes to social
issues. More people are speaking out about change, specifically about social changes. Of course,
this news source is not targeted to too young a crowd for they would not understand it. Rather,
upperclassman in high school and college students are the target audience. An overall summary
of the demographic would be young adults, as they are the ones who are the most likely to
actually stand for change.
This change that William calls for is located at the end of his article. After discussing the
issues with the admissions process and education system as a whole, he says, [t]he time has
come, not simply to reform that system top to bottom, but to plot our exit to another kind of
society altogether (Deresiewicz). The reason he puts his call to action last is for two reasons. He
wants this to be the last thing the reader remembers from reading his article. And, he has already
said so much to back up his claim that there is no added explanation needed at the end of the
article. For the last sentence of the article, William says, We have tried aristocracy. We have
tried meritocracy. Now its time to try democracy (Deresiewicz). His last sentence is rather
thought provoking. We live in the United States. Arent we the country that stands for
Democracy? Yes, except when it comes to the education system.
William backs up his claim not only through what he writes, but by how he writes it.
Leading up to his call to action, he describes what exactly is wrong with the Ivy League schools.
William writes, Our system of elite education manufactures young people who are smart and
talented and driven, yes, but also anxious, timid, and lost, with little intellectual curiosity and a
stunted sense of purpose (Deresiewicz). The word manufacture brings up the idea that these

schools are mass-producing the same type of student; it is an industry. He admits that those who
are manufactured are in fact smart students. But, he is quick to mention the negative side to an
elite education. His juxtaposition of smart with little intellectual curiosity, talented yet
timid, and driven but with a stunted sense of purpose shows the contradictions in these
schools. So why does William include these contradictions? He wants the reader to be intrigued,
to become as passionate about this as he it.
Another example of Deresiewiczs word choice is in the title. By saying Dont Send You
Kids to the Ivy League there is an assertive tone. Deresiewicz could have titled it Why You
Shouldnt Send Your Kids To Ivy League Schools or Reasons to Not Send Your Children to
Ivy Schools. But, those would suggest a generic, boring list. The title portrays a sense of
urgency, as if the reader has to read it or else the consequences will be detrimental to their childs
future. Furthermore, there is a subtitle underneath the title that says, The nation's top colleges are
turning our kids into zombies. Again, there is no doubt in his wording. He could have said How
the nations top colleges are turning our kids into zombies or How the top colleges are ruining
our children. Deresiewiczs wording is authoritative and outspoken. He gets his point across
while enticing the reader to read more.
Above the title, and the first thing readers see when they go to the page, is the image of a
burning flag. To be more specific, it is Harvards flag that is being burned. The flames engulfing
the red satin of the flag are a great contrast to the black, intimidating background. This was
included in the article to catch the readers attention. Red is one of the most noticeable colors. It
is also associated with blood. Think cutthroat, much like the admissions process into these elite
schools. Black, on the other hand, is associated with power and fear, the authority these schools
have over students. Black is also the result of the lack of color, much like the lack of creativity in
students, as mentioned in the article. The red flag, contrasted with the black background, entices
the reader to look further and have a sense of apprehension for the Ivy Leagues.

Once he grabs the readers attention, he begins to form a connection with the reader while
getting his point across. William includes, I should say that this subject is very personal for me.
Like so many kids today, I went off to college like a sleepwalker. You chose the most prestigious
place that let you in; up ahead were vaguely understood objectives: status, wealthsuccess.
(Deresiewicz). William uses pathos to create this emotional connection. The way he phrases the
beginning sounds as if he is admitting something that would otherwise be private. He gets the
reader to trust him and is one step closer to gaining influence over the reader. He recounts, though

not in great detail, his academic experience as a student. He knows what those students are going
through because he went through it and understands that the ultimate goal for those students is
success, whatever that success might be. He is including himself in those he is talking to and
about.
Apart from pathos, William also uses logos to influence the reader even more. He states
that, U.S. News and World Report supplies the percentage of freshmen at each college who
finished in the highest 10 percent of their high school class. Among the top 20 universities, the
number is usually above 90 percent. Id be wary of attending schools like that (Deresiewicz).
Right from the start, the reader is more trusting because he cites U.S News and World Report,
sources the reader is most likely familiar with. He then goes on to talk about how classrooms are
largely discussion-based classes. He believes that, [k]ids at less prestigious schools are apt to be
more interesting, more curious, more open, and far less entitled and competitive (Deresiewicz).
William uses the statistics, includes his opinion, and refers to his other comment about the types
of students at elite schools.
As you read further into the article,
you run into another image. But instead of
an image of a burning flag, it is an image
of a pair of rusty handcuffs covered in ivy
leaves. The ivy leaves obviously refer to
the Ivy League schools. The handcuffs
refer to something else, though. In the
image, one of the handcuffs is unlocked
while the other is still locked. William
says that students are trapped in a
bubble of privilege, heading meekly in the
same direction, great at what theyre doing
but with no idea why theyre doing it
(Deresiewicz). The top colleges have an
iron hold on its students and have them
locked into the path that they provide. Like Deresiewicz says, some of the top schools strip the
students of their creativity and drive. The schools are restricting the students from thinking
outside of the box. This image is very powerful for the reader because handcuffs are associated
with a crime that has been committed. This resonates with the reader and plays into Williams
bigger picture, that the entire education system is an injustice and needs to be changed.
As I mentioned earlier, William is able to have a call to action at the end of his article
because he did such a good job gaining influence over the reader. By the end of the article, it is
clear that the elite schools are not necessarily the best option. Throughout the article, he also talks
about the make-up of the student body at these schools. We see that the diversity and inequality in
schools is no longer defined by race, but rather socioeconomic level. The entire education system
needs to be addressed starting with elementary school and working up through college. This
problem could begin to be resolved if enough people started talking about it. He chose to publish
this on The New Republic because it is targeted towards young adults. Those young adults are the
ones who can make change happen and help William in his goal to create a better education
system.

Work Cited
1. Deresiewicz, William. Dont Send Your Kid to the Ivy League. The New Republic. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 Sept. 2014.