The Electric Typewriter

A Tetw reading list

The University Has No Clothes by Daniel B. Smith - A critical review of the spate of prominent attacks aimed at college education.

Learning by Degress by Rebecca Mead - A strong argument against measuring the value of a degree in purely economic terms.

In the Basement of the Ivory Tower by Professor X - An anonymous instructor at a low-end college makes the case that university isn’t for everyone.

How I Got my D.I.Y. Degree by William Wimsatt - The author offers an interesting if impractical programme for lifelong self education.

College for $99 a Month by Kevin Carey - How online education could be great for students - and catastrophic for universities.

Lost in the Meritocracy by Walter Kirn - A more personal view from a survivor of one of America’s top educational institutions.

And if you do decide to go, here’s what you’ll be up against:

Getting In by Malcolm Gladwell - How and why Ivy League admission practices are designed to keep top schools WASP.

The Early-Decision Racket by James Fallows - How the early-decision programmes distort the application process in favour of the priviledged.

The Dean’s Daughter Gets a Thin Envelope by Jennifer Britz - A college dean reflects on rejection from both ends.

(Source: tetw)