Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

5/25/10

Outliers Assignment #1

The Upper Hand

In my time in elementary school, I honestly did not gain many special advantages compared to the other students that allowed me to excel academically. My elementary school was run so that each child was given an equal opportunity to learn, but there were not many advanced courses for gifted students. However, there are certain aspects of my elementary school education that did set me on the right course for success.

I now realize how lucky I have been in my life because of the education I have received. A primary example of how I got an advantage in my educational success is that I was able to attend pre-school. Being able to go to pre-school when I was about four or five years old gave me a huge advantage over those who did not attend pre-school because I was able to benefit from having the experience of being in a learning environment at an early age.

While I was given a head start in pre-school, there were few, if any, courses for gifted students at the private elementary school I went to. Even if there were not many advanced courses at my elementary school, I did go to a private school which is an advantage in it of itself. At a private school, the students there are placed in a better learning environment than most public schools as many public schools lack funding for supplies and motivation from faculty members to teach. Also, attending a private elementary school directed me towards attending a high school like Trinity where I have more opportunities for success. However, if I attended a public elementary school, I most likely would have been easily persuaded to flow right into Waltham High School like so many other public school kids I know from my hometown.

The only advanced course I can think of being in while in elementary school was an Algebra I course I took in eighth grade. It was for a select few in my class who had above average math grades and displayed a unique ability in the subject. This was also a terrific advantage for me upon entering high school as it allowed me to forego taking Algebra I as a freshman and move straight into Geometry. As I have progressed through my years at Trinity, I realize how important that eighth grade Algebra I class was because it gave me the opportunity to take AP Calculus as a senior and, perhaps, forego a semester of math while in college. It is shocking how one small advantage given to me in eighth grade can have such a profound effect on my high school and college careers.

Being part of the AP English 11 class this year has had an indescribable effect on my intellectual development. It is very similar to the example of the hockey players in Outliers because I have been given the opportunity to learn from the best and develop my English skills much more than I could have in the college prep class. Also, not only am I learning from the best, I am in a class competing against the best and learning from my classmates, just like the hockey players on the more advanced teams.

There is a tremendous correlation between the educational advantages I have been given and the success I have attained as a student at Trinity. Without the advantages that I have listed, I most likely would be simply an average student taking average courses at an average school, but thankfully, that is not the case. I have taken advantage of the many great opportunities I have had in my life and those advantages have transformed me into the successful student I am today.