Preparing for Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools

Rating:
Summary: Privilege and the Proper Study of Education
Review: "Democracy is supposed to begin at the schoolhouse door. One has to be blinded by this glowing image of equality, however, not to see that private [boarding] schools, in general, represent an elite alternative to the public educational system in much the same way that private cars are alternatives to public transportation." Even though this book was published in 1985, most of the research and analysis of the elite schools can be applied today. The different types of boarding schools across the United States are illuminating. The public schools are even producing a growing number of eligible candidates for the Ivy League schools, although in many ways, the authors believe they still remain at a significant disadvantage. Although attending a private boarding school is no guarantee for admittance to Harvard, it certainly does provide a "booster shot" for incredible success. Every parent should read this book. Plan accordingly while your child is in kindergarten. Discover how America's elite are bred.

Rating:
Summary: Desperately seeking new edition
Review: As interesting as some of the things said in the book are, with a publishing date of 1989 I couldn't help wondering how much of the information still applied.
Tuition prices, for one thing, are certainly no longer accurate; many of the schools discussed have gone from single-sex to co-ed; some schools no longer exist.
A book like this has a definite shelf life, and I wish I had looked at its date of issue more carefully.

Rating:
Summary: A glimpse into how the social elite inherit privilege.
Review: This book provides an interesting glimpse into the lives of students, teachers, and administrators of elite boarding schools. It describes the costs and benefits to students (and teachers) of an elite boarding school education, and how this "rite of passage" encourages the idea among students that their advantages are earned. It also describes how elite students are socialized for power; and how their social contacts and schools help them gain acceptance to the best colleges and, later, into the best jobs, with the full complicity of the college admissions officers. This is an easy-to-read, well-researched, and interesting book. My only complaint is that it is too short!