Hillbilly Elegy
Chapter 12
by Vance, J. D.In Chapter 12 of *Hillbilly Elegy*, the author recounts his journey applying to law schools, initially underestimating his potential by avoiding top-tier institutions like Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. His perspective shifts after learning about the struggles of a law school graduate working as a busboy, prompting him to reconsider his options. Despite his doubts, he applies to Yale and Harvard, though he skips Stanford due to an unfamiliar requirement involving a dean’s endorsement—a hurdle he couldn’t overcome due to his distrust of authority figures and lack of connection with Ohio State’s dean. This decision reflects the lingering influence of his upbringing, where outsiders were often met with skepticism.
The author’s acceptance to Yale Law School becomes a pivotal moment, marked by disbelief and exhilaration. He is surprised by the generous financial aid package, which makes Yale the most affordable option despite its prestige. This revelation highlights a broader irony: elite schools often cost less for low-income students due to need-based aid, a fact many working-class applicants overlook. The author contrasts his experience with that of his friend Nate, who avoided applying to the University of Chicago assuming it was unaffordable, unaware that it might have been cheaper than Ohio State. This underscores the lack of guidance available to first-generation and low-income students navigating higher education.
Preparing for Yale, the author works a summer job at a warehouse to save money, symbolizing his transition from a blue-collar background to an Ivy League environment. The move to New Haven feels final, as he realizes Middletown no longer feels like home. This departure is emotionally distinct from his previous moves, signaling a permanent shift in his identity and aspirations. The chapter captures the bittersweet nature of upward mobility, where success often requires leaving behind the familiar, even as it opens doors to unprecedented opportunities.
Upon arriving at Yale, the author is struck by the school’s elite culture, where encounters with figures like Tony Blair and Governor George Pataki become routine. The supportive academic environment, with its low-stress grading system and close-knit seminars, contrasts sharply with the competitive atmosphere at other law schools. His constitutional law seminar, dubbed the “island of misfit toys,” becomes a microcosm of Yale’s diversity, bringing together students from vastly different backgrounds. This experience reinforces the chapter’s central theme: the transformative power of education and the challenges of bridging two disparate worlds.
FAQs
1. What key realization prompted the author to apply to Yale and Harvard for law school after initially avoiding them?
Answer:
The author initially avoided top-tier law schools like Yale and Harvard, assuming any law degree would guarantee success. This changed when his friend Darrell encountered a law school graduate working as a restaurant busser—the only job available to her. This stark reality revealed that not all law schools provide equal career opportunities, prompting the author to reconsider his strategy and aim for elite institutions where job prospects would be more secure (page 197).2. Why did the author choose not to apply to Stanford Law School, and what does this decision reveal about his upbringing?
Answer:
The author skipped Stanford because its application required a dean’s endorsement—a formality he couldn’t bring himself to fulfill. Despite knowing the dean was likely trustworthy, his upbringing instilled deep distrust of outsiders and institutions. This reflects his hillbilly roots, where self-reliance and skepticism of authority figures were survival mechanisms. His inability to rely on an unfamiliar administrator (despite Ohio State’s positive impact) highlights how childhood lessons could hinder opportunities (page 198).3. How did Yale Law School’s financial aid system challenge the author’s assumptions about elite education costs?
Answer:
Yale’s need-based aid made it the cheapest option for the author, despite its prestige. He expected crippling debt but received nearly a full ride due to his low-income background. This mirrors the New York Times data showing elite schools often cost less for poor students than state schools—a fact many working-class applicants don’t know. The author’s experience underscores how systemic information gaps disadvantage first-generation students (pages 199–200).4. Analyze the cultural contrasts the author experienced at Yale through two specific examples from the chapter.
Answer:
Two examples highlight Yale’s elite culture: First, Tony Blair’s casual small-group talk—unthinkable at Ohio State—revealed Yale’s access to power. Second, accidentally meeting Governor Pataki normalized encounters with dignitaries. These moments made the author feel like an “awestruck tourist,” emphasizing his outsider status in a world where such events were routine. The contrast with his blue-collar roots underscores the social capital embedded in elite institutions (page 200).5. How did Yale’s first-semester structure ease the author’s transition, and why was this meaningful for him?
Answer:
Yale’s pass/fail grading and dean’s encouragement to “follow passions” reduced stress, unlike competitive curves at other schools. His constitutional law seminar—a “misfit toys” group of diverse peers—provided community. This supportive environment was crucial for the author, who lacked the cultural fluency of his elite peers. It allowed him to adapt without immediate academic pressure, fostering belonging (pages 200–201).
Quotes
1. “During my first round of law school applications, I didn’t even apply to Yale, Harvard, or Stanford—the mythical ‘top three’ schools. I didn’t think I had a chance at those places. More important, I didn’t think it mattered; all lawyers get good jobs, I assumed.”
This quote captures the protagonist’s initial limited perspective on higher education and career prospects, reflecting the cultural mindset of his background where elite institutions seemed unattainable and unnecessary for success.
2. “I didn’t know the dean of my college at Ohio State. It’s a big place. I’m sure she is a lovely person… but I just couldn’t ask. I had never met this person, never taken a class with her, and, most of all, didn’t trust her.”
This reveals the author’s deep-seated distrust of institutional authority figures, a characteristic shaped by his upbringing that paradoxically limited his opportunities despite his academic achievements.
3. “It was the first time being so broke paid so well. Yale wasn’t just my dream school, it was also the cheapest option on the table.”
This ironic observation highlights how elite institutions’ financial aid systems can actually make them more accessible to low-income students than state schools, a counterintuitive reality that many disadvantaged students never discover.
4. “The day I moved felt different from every other time I’d moved away from Middletown… I knew this time that I was never really coming back. Middletown no longer felt like home.”
This moment marks a significant emotional and psychological turning point, where the author fully transitions away from his roots and acknowledges the fundamental change in his identity and sense of belonging.
5. “Yale Law School was like nerd Hollywood, and I never stopped feeling like an awestruck tourist.”
This vivid metaphor encapsulates the author’s persistent sense of being an outsider in elite academic circles, despite his academic success, reflecting the lasting impact of his working-class background.