Under Privilege

A Privilege to be Underprivileged? Racism has always been a part of our country, there’s no getting around it. Our country was built on the fear, pain, and bondage of slaves. Many would say we’ve come a long way since then, and yet, in Trump-era America, the epidemic of willful white ignorance to the suffering of others is skyrocketing. In fact, many white Americans have argued that People of Color (POC) have not only an equal standing, but an advantage in this country. It is alarming how somehow, after 100 years of slavery and another 100 years after that of segregation laws, Americans still have a problem accepting that POC’s are not treated equally in this country. Nearly every day, an innocent black man is shot by police , and yet, people

There some truth to this statement. According to recent surveys from top ranking colleges, the very first thing they look at when considering a student is grades. In fact, there’s a long list of academic qualifications, such as test scores, essays, recommendations, activities, that colleges look at before even considering other factors. If a student is qualified, then the college may consider something called an Underrepresented Minority (URM). This is something many colleges have started considering due to the staggering statistics of college acceptance and attendance by race. In 2013, about 40 percent of whites between the ages of 25 and 29 had a bachelor’s degree or more, compared to about 20 percent of blacks, 15 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of Asians. However, many overestimate the impact of URM and the other factors that give it a boost. Socioeconomic is just as, if not more important as URM. If an Underrepresented Minority were to come from a low-income household, and were working to support his/her family, he or she would have a higher chance of getting in than a overrepresented minority or even another URM coming from a higher socioeconomic background. The reverse would also be true. A caucasian coming from a low income household would probably be accepted before a financially privileged POC. The unfair advantage many