Credential inflation has led the undergrad system to be mostly a gateway to the middle class, not some isolated monastery for higher thought. And this very much includes the “elite” schools, which are dominated by high performers, not deep thinkers. 3/

There are fascinating cultural differences between elite schools and the more accessible system, and lots to say about donor culture (including f*cking sports-as-academic-brand), but I’m out of patience for taking “unique intellectual culture” as a given. 4/4