--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Shortridge High School was an elitist…" description: "\"Shortridge High School was an elitist high school. In a way it was a scandal because you could go there no matter where you lived, if you could get the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/kurt-vonnegut-41_achiever_shortridge-high-school-was-an-elitist-hi_490354.jpg" --- # Shortridge High School was an elitist high school. In a… ![“Shortridge High School was an elitist high school. In a way it was a scandal because you could go there no matter where you lived, if you could get there. It was for over-achievers. It was for people who were going to college. So we were very special and we were hated for being ritzy.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/kurt-vonnegut-41_achiever_shortridge-high-school-was-an-elitist-hi_490354.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/kurt-vonnegut-41_achiever_shortridge-high-school-was-an-elitist-hi_490354.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/kurt-vonnegut-41_achiever_shortridge-high-school-was-an-elitist-hi_490354.jpg) > “Shortridge High School was an elitist high school. In a way it was a scandal because you could go there no matter where you lived, if you could get there. It was for over-achievers. It was for people who were going to college. So we were very special and we were hated for being ritzy.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes Shortridge High School as elite and controversial, noting its exclusivity and the resentment it provoked. **In simple terms:** The school was elite, causing both pride and resentment. Key Takeaway Recognize how exclusivity breeds division. Themes education elitism social dynamics identity pride Mood critical reflective Type analytical observational When to use this quote - college admissions - school reputation - social mobility - peer relationships - public opinion Key Concepts Social stratification elitist institutions community perception Questions to Reflect On - How does elite status affect social cohesion? - Can inclusivity coexist with excellence? A Different Perspective Exclusivity can alienate broader communities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achiever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achiever/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Going to college](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-to-college/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [This had been going on at Shortridge since 1906. My parents had also worked on the Shortridge Daily Echo. The way it came into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/this-had-been-going-on-at-shortridge-since-1906-my-parents-had-also/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ In those days great teachers at Shortridge \[High School\] were celebrities. I would look up to them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/in-those-days-great-teachers-at-shortridge-high-school-were/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The fact is, yes, statistically, African Americans and Latinos are getting hit harder, but it's something that we can have real solidarity across racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/the-fact-is-yes-statistically-african-americans-and-latinos-are/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [Even going to college, getting my degree in Radio TV and Film, as I was approaching the time when you have to decide on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/even-going-to-college-getting-my-degree-in-radio-tv-and-film-as-i-was/) [Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/) > [At a time when going to college has never been more important, it's never been more expensive, and our nation's families haven't been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-a-time-when-going-to-college-has-never-been-more-important-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Going to college was never an option. I was passionate about music, but how much talent I actually had was another matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/going-to-college-was-never-an-option-i-was-passionate-about-music-but/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [It's kind of depressing when you hear the anti-science rhetoric in America, but I think that people are just afraid of change, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/it-s-kind-of-depressing-when-you-hear-the-anti-science-rhetoric-in/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [I think I really benefited from going to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-i-really-benefited-from-going-to-college/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [It's funny, I get a little quieter with time. 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I completely lost interest in golf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hollis-stacy/i-was-a-hotshot-as-a-junior-when-i-was-18-i-really-got-into-fiddling/) [Hollis Stacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hollis-stacy/) > [I think college is something I want to experience just to have the experience, really. I think about going to college all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-latimore/i-think-college-is-something-i-want-to-experience-just-to-have-the/) [Jacob Latimore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-latimore/) > [I was never that famous, but I do think going to college and really getting away from the business and taking a true break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-was-never-that-famous-but-i-do-think-going-to-college-and-really/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [Hey, maybe instead of going to college, you should drop out and I could quit my job and we can form an all-girl band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-palladino/hey-maybe-instead-of-going-to-college-you-should-drop-out-and-i-could/) Daniel Palladino ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. 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