Fantastic piece published on The Atlantic's education page yesterday. Well worth your time to read.
By society and the job market, I continue to be seen as a "high-achiever" in essence because I was never set up to fail.
No other kid from my block in East Flatbush was so lucky. At their truly public schools (not charters, not magnets, but common schools available to every family in the neighborhood), they routinely faced atrocious conditions including gun violence, overcrowding, and a curriculum that emphasized obedience over innovation. As outsiders to the college-prep "feeder system," which includes a small number of competitive high schools including Philips Academy and Trinity, the students who persevere despite these formidable demands and manage to graduate, are rarely seen as "high-achieving" by schools like Yale.
via Why Ivy League Schools Are So Bad at Economic Diversity – Robin J. Hayes – The Atlantic.