TheGFG

There are clear advantages accorded to students who come from wealthy families, as well as from families with good social connections. I believe that the convenience factor mentioned earlier is more significant than what one might think. A student who has a parent or car at their beck and call can be more efficient and squeeze more activities and study out of every day. For example, it could mean an hour or more a day gained if a kid can leave school right after the club meeting or sports practice ends rather than wait for the late bus which takes a roundabout way home, or wait for mom or dad to get home from work and pick them up.

Also, kids of lower class parents tend to have to do more chores around the house and more babysitting of siblings. A student living in a family which hires a housekeeping service and can pay for babysitters will be freed up to do more. If the family can afford for one parent to be home or home part-time, chances are the student will have someone to do his laundry for him, pack his lunches, and generally be a support whenever necessary (ie. when the kid is stressed and busy) and even when it's not truly needed.

As far as connections, one family I know has managed to arrange research opportunities for each of their high school children at the local university because the father is a professor there. Not only did this help them get into a top school, but they each were named scholars and received special academic scholarship money specifically for having done research. I'm not sure whether an opportunity like this would be available to a random kid whose parent doesn't work for the university. I'll get back to you all after my D tries to arrange a research opportunity at the same university and let you know. Connections definitely do mean a better chance for internships. A student with wealthy and successful parents and other relatives can land plum internship positions at companies where someone they know works.

However, a student who has to make his own luck and work hard for everything he has is also advantaged. The struggle teaches him many skills that are very important for life. Sometimes the kids who had too many "advantages" and were spoon-fed everything by tutors end up floundering on their own in college.