[JustLurking2022]

What century is this? Most people would probably think it a bit ridiculous to spend $40-50k a year trying to prevent kids from being "of the world" or "ending up silly". Even as someone who went to a private university, these are not good reasons to do so.

I'd also be interested in any evidence in the supposed downturn among elite universities - last I saw they are still quite effective at putting graduates into the highest echelons of government and industry. Even the supposedly more iconoclast industries like tech are largely inhabited by graduates of top schools.

[throwaway74829]

You would fall into the "of the world" camp. There are others, a relative minority but prevalent everywhere, that don't want to be a part of this, nor want their children involved. You will likely never interact with them, and their thoughts and feelings will never reach you -- but that doesn't mean their worlds are inane (or rather, more inane than any other).

The deterioration of quality within the "elite universities" is self-evident if one goes by more nuanced measure than "how high up the industrial and political ladder" its graduates reach. What the contrary is, is a matter of values that I will not be elaborating upon (this conversation has become tiring).

[JustLurking2022]

Oh, I know people who share your views, including a few relatives. I'm just not into cults.

Either you've taught your kids cakes that will stand up in the face of scrutiny and alternative belief systems, or you're peddling junk and hoping that with enough brainwashing and avoiding reality, they won't figure it out.

[JustLurking2022]

s/Cakes/values/

[zonethundery]

Thank you for your comments. I don't interact with "not of the world" folks much but am always glad when it happens.

[stjohnswarts]

also look at how big endowments of the "big" private schools is. It's almost obscene that they are just letting all that wealth sit rather than doing something with it.