There is Elitism at the Academy

Any school boasting the title of “high ability” is guaranteed to raise classes of students driven to be at the top, constantly striving for more, and ready to put in the work. These anxieties can often alienate us from our peers at other schools, namely traditional public ones. Though the student body at the Academy is largely progressive and empathetic, a lingering sense of elitism drifts through us miasmically. This has caused a loud and unjust bias against state and public schools to spread throughout the student body.

As a senior myself, I’m aware that this time of year is when the reality of college hits us hard, and with it, discussions of the future. Most of us are going on to higher education. In observation of these discussions, I have noticed one major fear: ending up at a low-level college (including Ball State University, our mother school) and no longer holding the title of high-ability student. These sentiments insinuate that underfunded, less prestigious schools are below us. As a “high ability” student attending Ball State University next year, I'd like to dispute this mindset that we have so absentmindedly settled into at our school.

Striving for a “good” university is not necessarily the wrong goal to have when approaching academia. However, the shared aspiration of prestige can contribute to reproducing classist stereotypes about education. If you put any kind of education below you (whether purposefully or not), you not only belittle the system, but also those inside it (students, teachers, and staff).

While there are obvious benefits to an impressive higher education, the reality is that so-called prestigious institutions are not for everybody. Generally, the benefits will not outweigh the costs, unless you come from an extremely wealthy family. Regardless, it is important to recognize that this attitude is inherited, and not always posited by us as students.

At the root of the issue lies a bias against lower class individuals. A study from Harvard University titled ‘Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Causal Effects of Admission to Highly Selective Private Colleges’ says, “Two-thirds of the difference in enrollment rates at Ivy-Plus colleges by parental income can be explained by higher admissions rates for students from high-income families. Conditional on SAT/ACT scores, applicants from families in the top 1% (incomes > $611,000) are 58% more likely to be admitted to Ivy-Plus colleges.” There is a clear class divide in higher education, and the aforementioned bias is directly connected. Exclusive colleges not only promise wonderful connections and experiences, but they also promise to make you a rich person. Somewhere in the system, the goal of knowledge is lost in the face of greed.

The fact is that most people go to state schools, as will a good many of us at the Academy. And no one is made less by it. Many of our beloved teachers attended state schools (and let us remember that they choose to work for one now). The divide between public and private universities is ever-present. However, we have the power to change our attitudes towards these barriers.

None of us are at fault for this bias; however, it is our responsibility to work against it. This begins with us questioning the foundations of our goals for higher education and openly and respectfully discussing them.

Neither a prestigious school nor social credit will give you passion and vigor for life. I don't mean to inflate the image of state schools; I mean to comfort those who are not living an idyllic academic lifestyle, coated in ivy and Chanel No.5, and those who feel minimized because of it. If one is passionate and driven, they will succeed no matter what institution they acquire their degree(s) from.