Redefining Merit and Student Success

David Brooks in conversation with Russlynn Ali

In the December 2024 cover story of The Atlantic, How the Ivy League Broke America, Brooks argues that the nation’s elite universities are driven by a system of meritocracy in need of disruption. Discover how the “diploma divide” impacts culture, life experience, the social fabric, and our ideals. Explore the history of access and opportunity in America’s colleges and universities and whether measures of merit should include non-cognitive skills like curiosity, creativity, resilience, and courage.

Download How the Ivy League Broke America