That hurts. My parents met as graduate students at that institution in 1946. But I suspect the polling is only loosely connected to the rest of the institution.
That hurts. My parents met as graduate students at that institution in 1946. But I suspect the polling is only loosely connected to the rest of the institution.
actually, David, I'm convinced that in fact, the current crop of students at "elite" institutions are a lot dumber than they used to be because PEOPLE are dumber. any class at Harvard (say) has a certain number of places to fill. and those places will be filled. my own knowledge of Harvard in particular is based on the fact that my best friend of sixty years went there and I'd visit frequently and hear all his stories. and I know perfectly well that there are genius kids everywhere. BUT.
when I was in graduate school, I studied with John Hollander, who was as close to a flat-out genius as any professor I ever had. he was in the habit of asking a VERY idiosyncratic question (with an idiosyncratic answer...the one I most remember was his sense that a line in a John Donne poem was most like a haiku) and, when everyone was cared to answer, he'd tear into us as being unfit to be any sort of scholar of English Lit. the thing is, I KNEW he was right insofar as guys in the generation just a few years later than that of my parents were, as a group, a lot better-read than we were. it stands to reason that the generation twenty years younger than OURS would be that much less prepared to teach English Lit than WE were.
I've had conversations with AP History students who were gloriously well-trained in American History and Politics. I've had more conversations with college graduates who didn't know what the Electoral College was.
so no polling result from ANY institution of higher learning would surprise me.
That hurts. My parents met as graduate students at that institution in 1946. But I suspect the polling is only loosely connected to the rest of the institution.
actually, David, I'm convinced that in fact, the current crop of students at "elite" institutions are a lot dumber than they used to be because PEOPLE are dumber. any class at Harvard (say) has a certain number of places to fill. and those places will be filled. my own knowledge of Harvard in particular is based on the fact that my best friend of sixty years went there and I'd visit frequently and hear all his stories. and I know perfectly well that there are genius kids everywhere. BUT.
when I was in graduate school, I studied with John Hollander, who was as close to a flat-out genius as any professor I ever had. he was in the habit of asking a VERY idiosyncratic question (with an idiosyncratic answer...the one I most remember was his sense that a line in a John Donne poem was most like a haiku) and, when everyone was cared to answer, he'd tear into us as being unfit to be any sort of scholar of English Lit. the thing is, I KNEW he was right insofar as guys in the generation just a few years later than that of my parents were, as a group, a lot better-read than we were. it stands to reason that the generation twenty years younger than OURS would be that much less prepared to teach English Lit than WE were.
I've had conversations with AP History students who were gloriously well-trained in American History and Politics. I've had more conversations with college graduates who didn't know what the Electoral College was.
so no polling result from ANY institution of higher learning would surprise me.
I think the big picture you're providing was in the comment I was responding to. And that dumbing down is why it hurts.
it does indeed. and not just at Harvard.