Affirmative Action for the Poor

Affirmative action is a highly debated topic in the country and almost everyone has a strong opinion on it. I think when affirmative action was put in place it was the right thing to do but since it has been many years I think it needs to be reevaluated. After reading the excerpts from Kozol’s Savage Inequalities he makes it clear that money does buy education. I have always felt this way, and that is why I think affirmative action should not only be based on race but also on SES.

Although a huge percentage of the lower class is made up of minorities there are whites in this class as well and they are put at the same disadvantages by attending underfunded schools. Students who attended well-funded schools are given opportunities that students from the inner city could only dream about. Money unfortunately is linked to academic achievement, which gives an upper hand to the rich. They are able to provide their children with tutors, educational computer games, traveling and many other things that will give them an edge academically. This is especially true for college preparation.

I was fortunate enough to have tutors that helped me prepare for the SATs. I benefitted greatly from the months of tutoring I received before taking the test but it put a dent in my parents’ bank account. In Westchester tutors can range from $75 an hour to $200 an hour and many students have one tutor for math and one tutor for English. The SATs are weighted heavily when applying to college and when you don’t have the money to spend for tutors or even a prep class the student is at a lose.

The article that we read that discussed how the admissions process has changed was extremely interesting. The steps that were taken to keep people out of Harvard are now things that help more people get into college. However, many of the activities that students fill their applications with are not available to every student. For example it has become extremely popular to send your child to a developing country for a vacation or summer to do volunteer work to they can put it on their college application. These trips come with a price tag starting at $5,000. Even some of the more prestigious clubs at school require students to spend extra money. For example there are two well-known debate clubs at my high school, Model Congress and the Junior States of America (JSA) require members to go on trips that cost money. And most importantly underfunded schools don’t even offer extra curricular activities like this.

Colleges are always looking to see what type of challenging courses you are taking. Even if a student attends a school that offers Advance Placement classes they may not be able to afford the tests at the end. Each test costs $86, which can quickly add up when taking multiple AP classes. In my high school I know if you receive free lunch from the district you pay a reduced price but not every school district offers this. Each school has their own rules but my high school requires you to take the test at the end of the course which may make a student not take the class because they cant afford it therefore not expressing their academic ability to its fullest.

For all these reasons and more that I didn’t mention I think SES should be taken into consideration during the admissions process. Affirmative action was established because minorities were not put at the same starting line as whites. I feel this is true for comparing the poor and the rich. I don’t think that race should not be a factor at all I just don’t think it should be the only factor. If a student shows promise and illustrates that they have use every opportunity that they have been offered they should be given the chance to show their full potential at the university level.