Rich parents, poor parents, test scores, and college

[Grace62]

We have this belief that if a kid has strong academic promise and aptitude, our society will get him through college. That's how this meritocracy thing is supposed to work.
The numbers tell a different story. Seeing this helps me understand why our country now has some of the lowest social mobility rates in the world.
Poor students with the highest test scores have the same chance of completing college as rich students with the lowest scores. (around 30%) And they complete college at less than half the rate of their wealthier peers.
this info is from 2005. Given the tuition increases and tightening of credit since then, I doubt the situation has improved.

http://www.epi.org/blog/college-graduati...me-levels/
Economic Policy Institute

[cbelt3]

Given that a lot of kids collapse academically between 8th grade and college, I suspect that socio-economic status is more of an attributing aspect rather than the whole picture.

[$tevie]

Wealthy students will never have the worries of lower income students. Knowing that whether or not you get an A in this class will have zero effect on your ability to come back next semester, or that you are going to get three squares a day without having to spend your spare time working, is going to free you up to take advantage of four more-or-less carefree years of college experiences, instead of being anxious all the time. Some poor students will rise above this, others will not. I don't really know how you can get around this. It may be that some lower income students will have to depend on an entrepreneurial spirit and not on a degree, and their offspring will be the ones who get the college degrees.

[Grace62]

It might seem like an odd stat to use, but high scores on 8th grade standardized math tests are a good indicator of how well students will do in college prep high school courses, and how well prepared they will be for college. Yes if you're rich you are more likely to be in a strong high school that helps you get into college, whether you are a high scorer or not. That's part of the problem, we are picking the winners by income more than by talent.
My own school district did a study of how well kids did on 3rd grade aptitude tests v. the SAT 8 year later, and the scores tended to be parallel. IOW, that talent shows up early.
What this shows is that getting through college in the US is much more about your parents' income level than about your own talent. So claims that we are a meritocracy don't seem to hold up.

What I see here is a lot of missed opportunity. Those smart kids we are not helping get through college because their parents are not well off, what is lost? Who/what could they become? Hard to even contemplate. Worth addressing.

[$tevie]

I'm not a believer that this country IS a meritocracy, hence my cynicism. The concept that it is a meritocracy is a lovely fairy tale. It is possible to raise yourself up, yes, but it is not the country's responsibility to guarantee that everyone ends up upper class.

[Black]

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[Grace62]

I agree with that. Except that we miss a great opportunity by making it so difficult to achieve if you aren't blessed with wealthy parents. Other countries don't do it that way, and I think they are better off as a result.

I think seeing that every smart kid who is willing to do the work has a shot at college would be a worthwhile investment.

[Pops]

Grace62 wrote:
I agree with that. Except that we miss a great opportunity by making it so difficult to achieve if you aren't blessed with wealthy parents. Other countries don't do it that way, and I think they are better off as a result.

I think seeing that every smart kid who is willing to do the work has a shot at college would be a worthwhile investment.

The widening gap in income between wealthy and "middle class" families, and the erosion of public scholarships makes potential and ability less and less important. It's all about $$.

My father died at 48, leaving my mother to raise three kids. Though I was a strong student, without a state sponsored scholarship, I would have been pumping gas instead of earning three degrees and having a professional career. I'm not suggesting that anybody "owed" me that help, but Grace's point hits home with me. If we don't invest in those needing help, we'll only see the social and income gap grow wider. And I don't think that's a good thing.

[p8712]

Given that a lot of kids collapse academically between 8th grade and college,

cite plz

[cbelt3]

P.. Personal observation only. I generally agree with Grace's opinions here. Good minds wasted is a bad thing. Of course other countries resolve this with exams which guide the students to specific school levels. I'm not sure about that either.