A review by sophia608
The Inequality Machine: How College Divides Us by Paul Tough

5.0

An exceptional look into the experience of college — from application to graduation — for low-income students. Much of this I already was familiar with to some extent (e.g.: the College Board is a terrible institution that is bad for students), but the research and data cited affirmed a lot of surmising. Tough talked both about high achieving students (specifically focusing on CollegePoint) as well as the academic middle and students struggling academically. He discusses the benefits of elite, selective institutions while decrying their unwillingness to admit and support low-income students, and talks about the benefits of community / technical colleges while debunking the anti-education (or, really, the anti-poor-people-getting-an-education) argument that “we need more welders” and “welders make more than philosophy majors.” I especially liked the sections on math education at UT and the timeline of changes in public sentiment toward and funding of education throughout US history. Using student stories to illustrate broader points about the college system, this book is exceptionally researched, contains empathetic profiles of students, and is convincingly written.

I listened to this on audiobook, but plan to purchase a hard copy so I can make notes in it, use it for reference, and lend it to people. Highly recommend for anyone interested in the contemporary college process.