Fall is usually thought of as time to pick pumpkins, drink apple cider and play in the leaves.
But for many high school seniors across the country, fall is a stressful period where deadlines for college applications loom ahead.
This year, the president’s daughter, Malia Obama, is just another participant in the pressure-filled college application process.
Or is she? The question of whether a university would reject the first daughter is an interesting concept for the Editorial Board.
The New York Times recently published an article detailing the list of schools Malia is touring and considering, which include an impressive list of Ivy League institutions mixed with a few small, liberal arts colleges and even a highly rated public university.
A revealing aspect of Malia’s university touring experiences lies in the demographic of the people giving her the tours. Malia’s tour guide at Columbia was the daughter of an important New York jurist.
At Harvard, Malia toured with a fellow senior who is the daughter of a former deputy secretary of state under Hillary Clinton and a “deputy Washington bureau chief at CNN.”
We don’t know about you, but we see a pattern here. Children of prominent figures in politics seem to attend the best high schools and universities. Is there a problem with this pattern?
While we think it is true that children of politically prominent families get better and more opportunities than other children, we do not think these kids should be judged harshly for something that isn’t in their control.
Malia Obama has gone to the best schools and received opportunities to participate in some really cool things that add to her college eligibility.
Malia interned for the HBO show “Girls” this summer and had a job as a production assistant on the show “Extant,” produced by Steven Spielberg.
In addition to her media-centered interests, Malia’s parents touted her as a hard-worker. We have no doubt Malia has excellent grades and test scores and will gain admission on merit as well as fame.
However, is Malia’s fame weighed more heavily than her other credentials?
We can’t answer this question, but we can see how Malia’s college application odyssey brings attention to the problem of access to higher education for college applicants who don’t come from prominent families.
Malia Obama has parents who are able to afford all the opportunities that make her a great candidate for all the best universities in the country. Most college applicants can’t compete simply because they don’t have the same access.
Luckily, President Obama is working to tip the scales to benefit low-income students with his push to make community college free and the development of the college scorecard. The college scorecard will serve non-privileged students by showing “graduation rates, post college earnings, student debt levels” and strategies former students have used to pay off their debt after graduation, according to Buzzfeed.
While a disparity in access to higher education is a reality, we think President Obama’s policies are a great step forward in the direction of change.
