<p>Statius, that NY Times article is from 2007. The gap between haves and have-nots has widened considerably. Trust me, I am not going to shed any tears for someone crying about income inequality with a $200k family income. </p>
<p>You could take a gap year and apply to colleges where you’d get significant merit aid. You could work and save to pay for your expenses. You could ask your parents how much they are willing and able to contribute to your college education, look up colleges that give significant merit aid, and work from there.</p>