Freshmen at elite colleges.

I'm really appalled by freshmen at elite colleges, esp. this current batch of 8 students I TA for.

It seems like the highly competitive college admissions process stands a high chance of permanently crippling their character, since it forced them to be self-centered and then got them to places that nurture their self-image as a social elite who will do great things.

Strikingly, when discussing their time in high school, they never talk about their time in high school, but rather say "my high school career".

Another grew up wealthy in New York and said straight up that "you are always where you want to be" - i.e., a person in some sense chooses whichever situation they're in.

Yet another seemed somewhat grounded and normal, but mentioned an investment banker aunt, which makes me wonder what latent features in her character might be awakened.

Even one of the most gung-ho volunteers just doesn't get stuff on some level; when the prof gently mentioned transportation problems in the university neighborhood and the history of discriminatory underfunding behind that, she was like, "But they have vans that take us to wherever we need to go" - i.e., she was thinking of herself and her transportation options, rather than those of non-university students, esp. (black) (poor) ones.

Given that the biggest social problem in the U.S. right now is the corruption of powerful elites, these students seem particularly ill-equipped to effect social change on that front, and will likely even be barriers to change to the extent that they continue to be part of the establishment, given that they're so invested in it b/c of their pre-fab competitive admissions process-created personality.

If change comes, it will come from state and non-top tier schools.

Honestly, these children are demographically f*cked.

What's wrong with our society where we honor them?

I wonder what they would think, if they knew that I felt my time with most of them was wasted and just paying the bills, and I'd rather be at the mid-level state school in the city, or working with artists.

My guess is they'd be flummoxed, since I'm guessing they think of themselves as treats to teach and maybe even looking up to them.