Is the American system of elite colleges churning out generations of excellent meritocratic sheep who have no capacity for meaningful self-knowledge? This guy says yes.

I agree. We have a generation of kids who are great at jumping through hoops others provide.

How does the phrase “excellent sheep” describe the typical student at an elite college today?

The most interesting thing about that phrase is that I didn’t write it myself. It came out of the mouth of a student of mine, and just seemed perfect. They’re “excellent” because they have fulfilled all the requirements for getting into an elite college, but it’s very narrow excellence. These are kids who will perform to the specifications you define, and they will do that without particularly thinking about why they’re doing it. They just know that they will jump the next hoop.

Good article. I agree, but don't think this problem is limited only to the ivy league.

This problem is definitely not limited to the Ivy League.