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Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy by Tressie McMillan Cottom
ekarpinski's review against another edition
4.0
Her experience and analysis of it is interesting - but the (predictably, leftist) politics are heavy-handed and lacking internal consistency. The BLM and socialism lenses are overused, as is the word "inequality." As other reviews have said, this is her PhD dissertation revised into a book, which is fine, though it really could have done with more editing. Scrapes by with four stars for telling interesting and rarely-heard stories about the people who go to for-profit colleges.
erichorvath36's review against another edition
5.0
Great reminder of why Tressie is one of my favorites: balanced and fair, as well as thoroughly researched from various vantage points (reviewed research, anecdotes, experiential).
I most appreciated her ability to see the macro pressures and micro expectations of for-profit colleges and the behavior of low-income students. Her positing "why isn't anyone outraged at the labor market's expectations for credentials and the individualization of getting them" against the common critique that "students should have known better" or "these colleges are evil" will stay with me.
I most appreciated her ability to see the macro pressures and micro expectations of for-profit colleges and the behavior of low-income students. Her positing "why isn't anyone outraged at the labor market's expectations for credentials and the individualization of getting them" against the common critique that "students should have known better" or "these colleges are evil" will stay with me.
sara_shocks's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 stars
The first (and only) interaction I had in high school with a for-profit college was a presentation + career aptitude assessment during an elective my senior year. I knew the group putting on the presentation wasn't a "real" college--they offered classes online and even if I didn't realize the distinction was actually about profit structure, my socioeconomic background had resulted in my knowing it wasn't as prestigious as where I had applied and been accepted by a long shot. (Also, the quiz suggested I would be well-suited as a parole officer, which...absolutely not for me.) I'm embarrassed to admit that reading this book actually taught me the difference between a more traditional school, i.e., a not-for-profit college, and something like the place we got the demo from.
(Of course, I now see I was not at all the target of that presentation, and instead all of the students approaching graduation whose backgrounds would not have prepared them for a "traditional" higher education experience were the targets. These targeted students are from poor backgrounds and most frequently are women and people of color. There's a reason the presentation occurred in a "Career & Technical Education" elective and not, say, AP English.)
Dr. Cottom is such a pleasure to read, even when the content is upsetting, because she has such an incisive writing style and I feel enlightened by her thought processes. The research here is all thoroughly explained and presented in an accessible manner, and she did an excellent job of balancing the statistical facts with narrative examples. I highly recommend this not just if you have curiosity about for-profit colleges but also if you want to read more about the New Economy and the labor market we're all stuck in.
The first (and only) interaction I had in high school with a for-profit college was a presentation + career aptitude assessment during an elective my senior year. I knew the group putting on the presentation wasn't a "real" college--they offered classes online and even if I didn't realize the distinction was actually about profit structure, my socioeconomic background had resulted in my knowing it wasn't as prestigious as where I had applied and been accepted by a long shot. (Also, the quiz suggested I would be well-suited as a parole officer, which...absolutely not for me.) I'm embarrassed to admit that reading this book actually taught me the difference between a more traditional school, i.e., a not-for-profit college, and something like the place we got the demo from.
(Of course, I now see I was not at all the target of that presentation, and instead all of the students approaching graduation whose backgrounds would not have prepared them for a "traditional" higher education experience were the targets. These targeted students are from poor backgrounds and most frequently are women and people of color. There's a reason the presentation occurred in a "Career & Technical Education" elective and not, say, AP English.)
Dr. Cottom is such a pleasure to read, even when the content is upsetting, because she has such an incisive writing style and I feel enlightened by her thought processes. The research here is all thoroughly explained and presented in an accessible manner, and she did an excellent job of balancing the statistical facts with narrative examples. I highly recommend this not just if you have curiosity about for-profit colleges but also if you want to read more about the New Economy and the labor market we're all stuck in.
gwalt118's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book for HIED 820: The College Student. I don't know much about for-profit colleges, and I learned a lot from this book. It is a thoroughly researched, insightful study of this industry our society has created through inequitable social and economic trends. As a doctoral student, I also enjoyed this as an example of autoethnographic research. If you're a higher ed person, you'll find this book fascinating. If you're not, you may way to keep scrolling...although I would argue that the social problems discussed in this book affect all of us.
My only critique? I wanted more solutions and action items at the end, but that's likely driven by the pragmatist in me.
My only critique? I wanted more solutions and action items at the end, but that's likely driven by the pragmatist in me.
frodomom214's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Ms. Cottom is amazing. I can't write a better review than Roxane Gay, so read what she said.
josienaron's review against another edition
4.0
really good, and very obviously about the million other things that play into this particular educational sector, if this sounds too specific
cdbaker's review against another edition
4.0
It took me awhile to get through this book, but not because it wasn't clear and well written. I learned a lot and it made me think more deeply about educational systems.