Researchers Find That Top Colleges Discriminate Against Low Income Students Even When They're Just as Smart as Rich Ones (2024)

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Researchers Find That Top Colleges Discriminate Against Low Income Students Even When They're Just as Smart as Rich Ones? ›

If you need more evidence that the world is stacked up against regular folks, a team of Harvard University economists have found that elite colleges discriminate against students from middle and lower income brackets, while preferring applicants from the upper crust of society — even when academic qualifications are ...

Most selective colleges do not enroll many lower-income students, who offer unique and diverse perspectives that could enhance the educational experience of all students. Research also shows that lower-income students benefit more from attending selective colleges compared to their more-advantaged peers.

The final 31 percent of the very-rich advantage comes from colleges judging these children to be stronger in nonacademic categories. That makes sense since they have greater access to extracurricular activities and leadership opportunities.

Low income students struggle to have basic necessities like food and housing. Low income students find themselves skipping meals or reducing food intake altogether to save money. Some college kids rely on staying at school over breaks. It may be too expensive to go back home, or there may be no home to go back to.

Elite Colleges Constantly Tell Low-Income Students That They Do Not Belong. Unwritten rules underlie all of elite-university life—and students who don't come from a wealthy background have a hard time navigating them.

At “need-aware” schools, your income may affect your admissions outcomes. Most schools fall into this category. On the other hand, "need-blind" schools don't consider financial need at all during admissions. At “need-blind” schools, your income won't affect whether or not you should be admitted.

But the Chetty research demonstrates conclusively that rich students retain a leg up in college admissions even after accounting for standardized test scores, because they have an advantage in nonacademic qualities such as athlete and legacy status.

Most importantly, your financial situation will not affect your chances of admission to Harvard College. We know that each student's financial circ*mstances are unique.

The New York Times reports that a new study from Opportunity Insights examines the advantage wealthy applicants have in gaining admission to highly selective universities, and shows that at MIT they were no more likely to attend than the average applicant with the same test score.

The data is based on millions of anonymous tax filings and tuition records from a study led by Harvard economists Raj Chetty, which shows that at 38 colleges in America, including five in the Ivy League — Dartmouth, Princeton, Yale, Penn and Brown — more students come from the top 1 percent of the income scale than ...

Why do low-income students struggle in school? ›

Students living in poverty often have fewer resources at home to complete homework, study, or engage in activities that helps equip them for success during the school day.

Financial Obstacles. Due to the rising cost of higher educationAfter completing high school (also known as secondary education), students can enroll in an institution of higher education such as a college or university., financial concerns are a leading cause of first-generation undergraduate dropout rates.

One major barrier is affordability, as college prices and student debt levels have risen to alarming heights. For many students, however, academic preparation may be an equally formidable barrier to postsecondary education.

Overqualified students can look great on paper, but some schools might not feel that you are the right fit for their campus culture or environment. Schools may reach this conclusion based on the contents of a student's application or as the result of an in-person campus visit or alumni interview.

The majority of children in low-income families have parents without any college education. 25% of children in low-income families – almost 7.2 million – have parents with less than a high school diploma. 36% – over 10.3 million – have parents with a high school diploma, but no college education.

Based on research from ThinkImpact (2021), 38% of students admit to dropping out because of financial pressure. Provided the increasing expenses of higher education as well as the difficulty of finding scholarships, grants, and financial aid, low-income students often cannot keep up with university demands.

In summary, the short answer is income can affect college admissions. Being a full pay student can benefit you based on the school and their available funds. That's not to say that you should go to a school that you and your parents can't afford and that's going to put you in incredible debt.

Colleges price discriminate by means of financial aid, which allows the college to subsidize the cost of college, essentially offering a discounted price to students who are less able or unable to pay full tuition.

These factors often place more stress on a student, which can negatively impact the student's ability to succeed in a school. Students living in poverty often have fewer resources at home to complete homework, study, or engage in activities that helps equip them for success during the school day.

Depends on the college. At some colleges, admissions readers may see that, between two students who show similar achievement levels, the one who started at a disadvantage due to coming from a poor family may actually have achieved more than the one who started from a more advantaged starting point.