Education should be the key to equality of opportunity, and in the United States we often think that it is. Equality of opportunity requires that “an individual has a fair chance when her prospects for success in the pursuit of social positions are a function of her level of native talent and willingness to use them, and are not a function of her social class or background ” (“Equality of Opportunity”). Minorities in the United States have to overcome many more obstacles than white and Asian peers in order to go to college; these obstacles include coming from worse schools, being more likely to be a first generation students, and being more likely to come from a low income background. These obstacles stem from our original education system which has excluded black students from its inception.

What Contributes to Inequality of Opportunity?

• Standardized tests- these are tailed to help richer students who can afford coaches and train
  • Black and Hispanic students, who are more likely than whites to come from less affluent backgrounds, often cannot afford the coaches and training that their more affluent peers which puts them at an automatic disadvantage.
  • First-Generation students on average receive SAT scores that are over 300 points lower than students who have a parent with a bachelor degree (Goldfarb)
• Even more than having lower scores, “the compounding factors of race, language, ethnicity, immigration status, and social class position make… achieving The American Dream nearly impossible for first-generation college students” (Banks-Santilli).
  • First-generation students must overcome challenges in cultural and familial expectations, as their parents often do not want them to leave home. This, combined, with the lack of resources that exist to help them means they must be extremely independent and active if they want to achieve college.
• Legacy preferences mean that, at some schools, one can automatically be pushed through to the second round of admissions if he or she has a parent or grandparent who attended the college (Kamenetz).
  • This prioritizes richer, non-first generation students at the expense of students who do not have connections and are likely minorities and poor (Kamenentz)

First generation students, poor students, and minorities have to overcome many more obstacles to attend college; this does not allow for equal opportunities.