Who Are “The Privileged Poor” Among Today’s College Students?

As an assistant professor at Harvard University, Anthony Jack has witnessed the challenging binary that low-income students at elite colleges experience as part of what he called “the privileged poor.” The concept is also the title of his new book, which explores how and why disadvantaged students are struggling at elite colleges. He speaks to MetroFocus about what those schools can do differently to help those students thrive.

TRANSCRIPT

>>> WHEN AN FBI INVESTIGATION

HATED BARE AN ALLEGED SCHEME BY

SOME HOLLYWOOD AIMLESS

CELEBRITIES, BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

AND OTHER WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS TO

PAY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TO

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET THEIR

CHILDREN INTO EHEAT COLLEGES AND

UNIVERSITIES, MANY FELT OUTRAGE

AND BETRAYAL.

NOW, HARVARD ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

ANTHONY JACK IS SHEDDING EVEN

MORE LIGHT ON THIS ADMISSIONS

SCANDAL AND ITS LOP-SIDED

PRACTICES.

THE PROFESSOR'S NEW BOOK IS THE

PRIVILEGED CORE.

HOW ELITE COLLEGES ARE FAILING

DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS.

HE JOINS ME NOW WITH INSIGHTS

INTO THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> FIRST, THE PRIVILEGED, THE

TITLE OF THE BOOK GETS AT THE

MISUNDERSTANDING THAT I THINK A

LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE WHEN IT COMES

TO NOT ONLY LOW INCOME STUDENTS

BUT IT TENDS TO BE SYNONYMOUS

WITH STUDENTS OF CHORE, GETTING

INTO ELITE UNIVERSITIES.

WAS THAT INTENTIONAL?

>> IT IS.

THE PRIVILEGED POOR IS MY

MOTI

MOTIVATION.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LOW INCOME

STUDENTS, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT

DEER FIELD, ANDOVER.

THESE ELITE SCHOOLS THAT COST

OVER $50,000 A YEAR FOR HIGH

SCHOOL.

THIS IS WHERE LOWER INCOME

STUDENTS ARE GOING THANKS TO A

BETTER CHANCE, THE WIGHT

FOUNDATION, W-I-G-H-T.

YOU HAVE TO SAY IT.

THESE PROGRAMS PUT LOWER INCOME

STUDENTS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

AND THEY'RE AT AN ECONOMICAL

DISADVANTAGE.

THEY COME FROM SINGLE PARENT

HOUSE HOLDS, LIVES IN SUBSIDIZED

HOUSING.

BUT THEY HAD ACCESS TO THE ELITE

ENVIRONMENTS.

THEY STUDIED ABROAD IN HIGH

SCHOOL.

THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT BY Ph.D.s.

THEY'RE PRIVILEGES IN THE SENSE

OF HOW MUCH ACCESS THEY HAVE TO

CULTURAL CAPITAL.

THE WAYS OF BEING.

THE COLLEGE OF VALUE.

AND I WANTED TO PUT IT TOGETHER.

I WANT PEOPLE TO ASK THE

QUESTION.

HOW CAN SOMEONE BE BOTH

PRIVILEGED AND POOR?

I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND

THAT'S PART OF THE FIRST

GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS.

>> YOU TALK ABOUT THE ACADEMIC

ASPECT OF IT.

WHAT DOES THE SOCIAL IMPACT

HAVE?

HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THEM?

SOMETIMES COMING AS AN OUTSIDER.

IT CAN BE DAUNTING.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT IS IMPORTANT.

WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHAT WE HAVE

ASSOCIATED WITH CULTURE SHOCK

AND GOING TO COLLEGE, THOSE

STUDENTS EXPERIENCED THAT IN

THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH

SCHOOL.

AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT

IS, I ACTUALLY ARGUED THAT IT IS

THE SOCIAL UNDERCURRENT OF ELITE

INSTITUTION THAT'S ARE THE

BIGGEST HURDLES.

THE EXAMPLE THAT I USE ALL THE

TIME IS OFFICE HOURS.

IF YOU'VE NEVER BONE A COLLEGE

CAMPUS, IF YOUR PARENT DID GO TO

COLLEGE, YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER

HEARD THE TERM OFFICE HOURS

BEFORE.

IT IS THROWN AROUND CAMPUS

WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION.

PROFESSORS SAY MY OFFICE HOURS

ARE WEDNESDAY, 2:00 TO 4:00.

FULL STOP.

THEY DON'T SAY WHAT OFFICE HOURS

ARE.

THEY DON'T GO THE EXTRA HOURS OF

EXPLAINING HOW THIS VERY, VERY

CLASS TERM IS REALLY THE GATEWAY

TO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION,

INTERNSHIPS, INTRODUCTIONS TO

DIFFERENT PEOPLE LIKE HEAD

HUNTERS AND DIFFERENT RESUME

HELP.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF TAKEN FOR

GRANTED ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT

STUDENTS KNOW AND ARE

COMFORTABLE WITH BECAUSE WE HAVE

IT BASED UPON WEALTHY STUDENTS.

WE ARE SO USED TO EDUCATING

THEM.

>> AND IT IS NOT JUST GETTING

IN.

IT IS HAVING THE SUPPORT

NETWORK.

>> IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU

ARE SEEING WITH THESE STUDENTS

YOU'RE LOOKING AT WITH YOUR

BOOK?

SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE

EXPANDED MORE ON A NATIONAL

STAGE?

OR IS IT A MATTER OF IMPROVING

THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

THAT KIDS ARE GETTING, PERIOD,

SO SOME OF THESE UNDERSTANDINGS

JUST BECOME UBIQUITOUS ACROSS

THE COUNTRY?

>> MORE THE LATTER.

PUTTING POOR STUDENTS INTO

PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THAT'S

ABDICATING RESPONSIBLE.

WHAT RESEARCH SHOWS TO ME, THE

LARGER STORY, WHEN YOU GIVE

LOWER INCOME STUDENTS THE

RESOURCES OF THE TOP 1% PEERS,

THEY DO JUST AS WELL.

THEY MAKE USE OF THE CAREER

CENTER, STUDY ABROAD, MENTAL

HEALTH SERVICES WHICH WE SHOULD

ELEVATE INTO OUR CONVERSATION

AND PUT THEM ON THE SAME

PEDESTAL.

ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

SO YOU HAVE THE ENERGY.

I WANT US TO NOT JUST GRADUATE

BUT WHOLE AND HEALTHY FOR THE

NEXT ADVENTURE.

>> OF COURSE.

THIS IS REALLY A CAPTIVATING

BOOK.

IT SOUNDS LINING IT IS FOCUSED

AROUND A SIMPLE THING OF PEOPLE

RISING TO THE OCCASION THAT YOU

PRESENT THEM WITH.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TALK

ABOUT IS FOOD INSECURITY.

THE ONE THING WE THINK ABOUT

WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS, OKAY,

YOU'RE ALL OKAY.

YOU'RE GOOD WHEN YOU GET TO

CAMPUS.

WHEN TWO OUT OF FIVE STUDENTS

ACROSS THE NATION FACE FOOD

INSECURITY, NOT KNOWING WHERE

THEIR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM,

WITH STUDENTS ACROSS DIFFERENT

GROUPS.

IT IS NOT JUST LOWER INCOME

STUDENTS WHO SUFFER.

ALSO STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE

FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, STUDENTS ARE

ARE QUEER, WHO HAVE NOT GOT

THEIR FAMILY WHEN THEY GO OFF TO

SCHOOL.

EVEN THOUGH I STUDY LOWER INCOME

STUDENTS, THE IMPACT IS FAR

BEYOND.

THAT IT IS NOT JUST THE SHEER

MAGNITUDE BUT THE NATURE OF IT

ON SPECIFIC CAMPUSES.

ON THE CAMPUSES THAT I STUDY.

WE SEE FOOD INSECURITY HAPPENING

AROUND BREAKS, SPRING BREAK,

WINTER BREAK.

WE ASSUME ALL STUDENTS GO HOME

FOR FUN IN THE SUN.

WHAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HOME TO

GO HOME TO?

WHAT IF HOME AND HARM ARE

SYNONYMOUS?

BEING FORCED TO GO HOME FOR

SPRING BREAK.

MOST COLLEGES SHUT DOWN AND

THOSE THAT ARE OPEN CHARGE

STUDENTS A DAILY RATE TO EITHER

STAY IN THEIR ROOM OR THE ROOM

OF THEIR PEERS WHO ARE ON

VACATION.

THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES TO

SOMEBODY.

THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE

THEIR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM

AND THEIR UNIVERSITY IS CHARGING

THEM A DAILY RATE TO STAY ON

CAMPUS.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS

ON WHY PEOPLE CAN'T RISE TO THE

OCCASION.

>> LISTEN, I WANT TO THANK YOU

SO MUCH FOR THIS BOOK.

FOR GIVING US A DIFFERENT WAY TO

THINK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY HOW WE

CONSIDERED NOT JUST EDUCATION

BUT HIGHER EDUCATION.

HOW WE HIRE PEOPLE TRYING TO

CLIMB UP THE LADDER.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

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