Photograph by Sarah Weaver
Following the departure of Angela Price, one of two college counselors at Berkeley High School, it is important to analyze some of the issues that plague education, namely inequitable access.
It is commonly held that education is the ultimate equalizer, meaning that no matter where one starts in life, a good education can propel them to a higher socioeconomic status. If not that, education broadens one’s horizons and gives them more options in life. The trouble of our time is making said education more accessible, such that everyone who wants to put in the work can achieve the result. Equality of opportunity will eventually allow for a more free and equitable society.
Currently, this is not the case in the United States, or anywhere else. Looking at the demographics of wealth inequality, it is apparent that the people who start poor often end poor, and those with economic privilege almost always pass on their wealth. As a society, we ought to take the steps to bridge the gap, starting with education. Like it or not, effective college admission counseling is a clear-cut winner in that department. This is proven by the fact that the wealthy spend thousands on counseling.Public schools often lack the proper funding to hire enough guidance or college counselors. Understaffed and overworked, these employees often face tremendous stress and pressure throughout the year. Hence, administrators ought to value the vital work that counselors do. Otherwise, there is a privilege gap, wherein students with more wealth can gain unfair advantages in their education.
Wealthier parents can afford to get their kid the college admissions attention they desire. This matters because whether a student receives proficient college counseling often correlates with the supposed quality of college that the student attends. Parents without the means to get private counselors, which can cost up to tens of thousands, miss out on the important—and perhaps life-altering—opportunity for their kid.
This extends to essay readers as well. It is no myth that the better the essay, the better the odds of admission. Parents who hire expensive professionals to proofread and edit their child’s essays are in turn giving their kid a direct competitive edge.
Instead of less counseling, we should bridge the education gap so that anyone can achieve the result.