Book SummaryExcellent Sheep, by William Deresiewicz

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Excellent Sheep

Elite colleges and universities only accept on average 6% of applicants, but their influence stretches far beyond this small group. In Excellent Sheep, William Deresiewicz claims these US institutions are so selective and profit-oriented that they perpetuate social inequality and deprive students of high-quality learning. He argues the solution is to make high-quality college education accessible to all US students.

Deresiewicz, a former English professor at Yale, is well-known for his 2008 essay “The Disadvantages of an Elite Education.” After the article went viral, he further fleshed out its...

Excellent Sheep Summary What Is a High-Quality College Education?

According to Deresciewicz, an ideal college experience benefits both individuals and society. He argues that a high-quality college education is a liberal arts program that nurtures students’ self-insight and equips them with the skills to uphold democracy. In this section, we’ll define what a liberal arts education is. Then, we’ll explore how it benefits students and society.

What Are the Liberal Arts?

Deresiewicz claims that the liberal arts prioritize character-building over career development. Programs that emphasize career development teach skills related to a specific occupation. By contrast, liberal arts programs emphasize character development by cultivating students’ character as they study a wide range of subjects, such as literature, biology, and history. Your character includes your values (for example, fairness), the ways you treat others (for example, kindly), and your strengths (for example, communication).

The author clarifies that although liberal arts programs prioritize character-building over career development, their students still graduate prepared for the workforce. He cites research showing that many employers specifically seek graduates of...

Excellent Sheep Summary Problem 1: Selective Admissions Criteria

Next, we’ll contrast Deresiewicz’s vision of an ideal college education with the experience elite US schools offer. By “elite US schools,” the author means prestigious, highly selective colleges and universities such as Yale, Princeton, and Amherst. He identifies two main problems with these institutions.

The first problem is these schools’ admissions criteria. Deresiewicz claims that admissions criteria at elite US schools are so selective that they both harm students and perpetuate social inequality. These criteria include high, narrow standards for the following factors: standardized test scores, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and social identities. We’ll begin this section by explaining why elite schools’ admissions criteria are so selective. Then, we’ll explore the negative impacts of these criteria.

Why Elite Schools Use Selective Admissions Criteria

According to Deresiewicz, elite schools use selective admissions criteria because they stay in business by marketing themselves as highly selective. A school is considered highly selective if it only accepts a small percentage of its applicants.

Elite schools market themselves as highly...

Excellent Sheep Summary Problem 2: Elite Schools Prioritize Profits Over Teaching

Next, we’ll turn to the second problem with elite colleges and universities: the low quality of their academic programs. Deresiewicz argues that elite schools provide a low-quality education because they concern themselves more with generating profits that ensure their future existence than with the art of teaching. In this section, we’ll explore two ways elite schools prioritize profits over teaching. Then, we’ll investigate how this emphasis harms students and society.

Two Ways Elite Schools Prioritize Profits Over Teaching

Method 1: Elite Schools Treat Students as Customers

The first way elite schools prioritize profits over teaching is by treating students like customers instead of learners. Deresciewicz argues that elite schools prioritize students’ customer satisfaction because, as previously noted, they rely on upper-class students’ financial support. These students’ families are more likely to pay full tuition, and they and their families are more likely to later become donors. Elite schools treat prospective students like customers by attracting them with unnecessary perks (such as free laundry service) that don’t improve the quality of...

Excellent Sheep Summary Solution 1: Expand Access to Higher Education

Next, we’ll turn to Deresiewicz’s ideas on how to realize his vision of an ideal college education. We’ll begin by examining his solution to the first problem we discussed earlier: elite schools’ selective, exclusive admissions criteria. He proposes that Americans should replace their current system of higher education with a less-exclusive one that no longer privileges upper-class children. In this section, we’ll describe Deresiewicz’s recommendations for how governments, institutions of higher education, and parents can play a role in this solution.

Government Role: Address the Roots of Disparities in College Access

The author claims that high school students will have equal opportunities to access high-quality education if the government equally funds all public schools. Because public schools are funded by property taxes, students living in lower-income communities attend underfunded schools and graduate from high school less prepared for college. Equalizing K-12 school funding would ensure all students attend high schools that prepare them for college.

Would Equalizing K-12 Funding Equalize Access to Elite Colleges?

Deresiewicz doesn’t...

Excellent Sheep Summary Solution 2: Prioritize Teaching and Learning

Next, let’s consider solutions to the second problem with elite schools: their emphasis on profits over teaching. Deresiewicz offers recommendations for how colleges and universities, and college students themselves, can improve students’ educational experience. In this section, we’ll share his recommendations.

College and University Role: Prioritize Teaching

The author argues that elite schools should ensure that professors prioritize teaching over research. Shifting professors’ priorities would enable them to build students’ character and nurture their self-insight. As previously noted, their inspiring guidance would both enrich students’ lives and equip them with the skills to uphold democracy. The author argues that during the tenure evaluation process, professors’ teaching experience and strengths should be valued just as much as, or more than, their research experience.

The Role of Student Evaluations in Professors’ Teaching Quality

One way colleges and universities can value professors’ teaching is by reducing the role student evaluations play in assessing professors’ performance. A recent study found that [teaching quality suffers when...

Shortform Exercise: Review What You’ve Learned From Excellent Sheep

Take some time to review the main takeaways from Excellent Sheep.

The author describes how elite schools’ selective criteria and focus on profits negatively affect students. Which of these effects was the most surprising or disturbing to you? Why?

Shortform Exercise: Reflect on Your Educational Experiences

Excellent Sheep explores how the education a student receives influences their opportunities, self-insight, and skillset. Take a moment now to reflect on how your educational experience has impacted you and what hopes you have for future educational experiences.

What role has privilege, and/or a lack of privilege, played in your education? (Consider factors such as your social identity and your access to college preparation resources. For example, a student from a low-income family may feel the need to major in a field that would guarantee them a high-paying job after college.)