It’s impossible to say that we don’t care about college. While that has been the aspirational message of PHS administration in an attempt to diverge from the cutthroat academic culture fostered at the school, students still overwhelmingly focus on their next four years. By taking an overwhelming course load, taking on extracurriculars, and losing sleep (and then complaining about the stress), PHS students shape their lives in pursuit of that coveted acceptance letter. But hard work doesn’t always equal success. The metaphorical scale that is meritocracy is unfairly tipped in favor of the privileged by the systems that benefit them. In the context of college acceptances, this system is legacy and faculty admissions, which makes it easier for students to be admitted to universities that their parents attended or work for.

The blame, however, can never be placed on the individual. No one expects legacy and faculty students to not want to pursue a quality education. But the system that benefits them is the one to blame. Rich kids get into top schools to get a good degree, making them even richer. Their kids will continue the same pattern, creating a cycle that leaves wealth consolidated at the top, while lower socioeconomic Americans are trapped on the outside looking in.

Education is, without a doubt, the key to success; virtually all high paying jobs require a higher education. A college degree from a prestigious institution opens doors that would have otherwise been closed. But the people who need these opportunities the most are those who find them the most difficult to attain. While the college admissions process is comprehensive, oftentimes the different components of an admissions profile are still impacted by the financial status of the applicant. Wealthier kids can afford private tutors, standardized test preparation, essay readers, and extracurricular opportunities that poorer students can’t even fathom. While systems like affirmative action and need-based financial aid benefit lower socioeconomic applicants, they still don’t make the admissions process equitable in the slightest. A 2017 New York Times study found that 72 percent of Princeton admits come from the top 20 percent of American earners and only 1.3 percent of admits come from self-described poor families.

Wealth inequality is as American as apple pie, and as time goes on, this inequality gets worse. The thriving middle class is no more, access to opportunity is becoming slim, and government support for social progress is deemed too radical. Working two minimum wage jobs just to provide food for your family isn’t even enough to stay above the poverty line anymore. Despite their hard work, these citizens still fail to attain financial stability. Every day, many Americans face the fear of simply dying because of their societal status. For a nation that attributes success to hard work, denying opportunity from those same hard workers seems contradictory. It seems anti-American. Immigrants move to this country under the impression that their family will attain their own version of the American Dream, only to see that it was just all a lie. The sad reality is that working-class Americans are incessantly deluded into believing this farce. Opportunities that are meant for underrepresented individuals are redirected to serve the wealthy and powerful. Working Americans aren’t stupid. They understand that they are being robbed of their American Dream.

The college admissions process is hard. Writing supplemental essays, conducting research, and doing interviews can be overwhelming. But hearing of yet another student who has connections to your dream school can be a frustrating obstacle in your path. For students with these affiliations, acknowledging your privilege is the first step. Yet on a larger scale, dismantling these systems is what will make education more accessible and equitable