Arab Spring refers to a series of anti-government protests that occurred throughout North Africa and the Middle East, starting in Tunisia in late 2010. Some of the most prominent demonstrations—including those in Egypt, Yemen, and Libya—overthrew the ruling governments. Collectively, the protests were a younger generation rebelling against hardline authoritarian regimes. It is referred to in the book when Deresiewicz discusses the lack of leadership in the current generation of college students.

This economic downturn began in 2008 and its effects were felt strongly for the next several years—particularly regarding unemployment and home foreclosures. It also influenced students, many who had large student loan debt, who graduated from college and were unable to find work. Its cause can be traced to the bursting of the housing bubble in the United States and the crisis caused by defaults on subprime mortgages—a type of mortgage aggressively marketed to people considered financially risky.

Deresiewicz uses this acronym to refer to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford Universities. They represent the crème de la crème of elite institutions.