What we need to do to make sure everyone gets equal opportunity is to provide healthcare, parental leave, parenting skills, importance of family unit, alcohol/drug/tobacco use prevention, minimum wage, financial literacy, good K-12 education in all public schools, taking aptitude tests, teaching trade skills, employment events at community centers, free community college etc.
It makes little difference to send 500 under qualified applicants to Ivies for free and think we did our part to neutralize 500 rich applicants getting in using wealth advantage, there should be ways to help every kid, every family. This extreme tug of war is taking opportunities away from middle class kids. Making a mockery of higher education is not going to serve anyone. It’s so pathetic that SAT boost to legacy, donor, athlete, URM, low income etc is considered a solution to improve status of education.
This myth of money is the only thing that makes you a good student is overinflated, if it was true rich won’t be desperately trying athletics, donations, Legacy, bribes and fraud to get in.
What makes real difference is parents instilling value of education by words and actions. What matters is making kids of this nation focus on hard work, learn value of good education and provide opportunities and all schools and colleges, not just prep or boarding schools and ivy colleges. If public schools and colleges improved, everyone from every financial class would have better opportunities.
Merit is not a myth nor it’s evil. Give kids skills not short cuts for privilege and under-privilege. It’s a disservice to everyone, specially hard working kids who are not in any visible group.