I didn’t previously know this but as soon as I read your comment my first thought was, “Of course it was”! He produced so many iconic songs of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Agreed and I stand corrected.

Thank you. I am forever grateful for that friend who used her leverage to allow me to get a foot in the door.

It was a combination of hard work and luck but much moreso luck (or what others like to call networking). A good friend of mine was able to get me an interview for an entry level position at the company she worked for. Even that entry level position paid more than what I was making with several years experience at the job I was at previously. In the city I live in, my new field is in high demand; a combination of that and busting my behind because I did not want to ever go back to struggling financially led to me advancing quickly and, a half dozen or so years later - here I am.

As someone who has been poor and now lives comfortably - you're absolutely right. Once I didn't have to stress about what bill I was going to have to forgo paying so that I could have lights or keep a roof over my head or worry about where I was going to come up with an extra $500 when my car broke down, my mental state vastly improved. I still struggle with depression but my depression isn't nearly as severe as it was when I had no money.

I think it's important to note that the study specifically mentions diagnosis of a mental disorder. This is of course pure speculation on my part but I'm of the belief that those from a poorer background who are diagnosed with a mental disorder later in life probably had the disorder earlier in life but due to lack of resources were unable to seek help to obtain a diagnosis when they were younger.

You need to ask your loan officer for a loan estimate that will clearly state what the rate is along with other items such as what they charge for closing costs. Any reputable lender will provide you with this document with no issue (most provide it without you having to ask for it).

My dad is almost 70 and suffered from asthma as a child. He’s told me about the treatments that existed for asthma back in the late 50’s/early 60’s. It was rough…

You’re absolutely right; that’s most definitely a benefit that I forgot to mention.

Understood. I just wanted to provide my own personal ancedote as the perception seems to be that students from underserved communities who attend elite schools do terribly and flunk out because 1. They never should have been accepted in the 1st place and 2. They lack the talent and skills to excel in these colleges. My son’s and many of his friends’ experiences have been just the opposite.

Hmmm… My son is a senior at an elite university and both he and I would argue that part of the reason he’s doing so well there is because he graduated from high school in an underserved community. He had to learn skills such as perseverance, taking initiative and critical thinking early on because if he wanted to do well in his studies he had no choice but to do those things. He definitely had a few teachers who genuinely cared and went above and beyond to help ensure his success but the majority of his teachers didn’t give a crap about the students and were just there for the check. Therefore, if he wanted to excel, he had to learn equip himself with the tools to do it on his own. Because of that, he walked into college much better equipped than a lot of his peers who had everything handed to them their whole lives.

Now, the culture shock and hostility that he encountered from bigots who felt he didn’t “deserve” to be there is a different story…but, just like he’s done with every other challenge in his life, he persevered and is on track to be graduate Cum Laude this spring.

As someone whose child attends an "Elite University", I concur that these schools are in no way better. But what these schools do offer that so-called "non-elite schools" do not are unmatched networking and career opportunities.

My son (who would fit the title of a student from an underserved community due to our race and the high school he graduated from) will be graduating college in May and has already accepted a six-figure job offer with a Fortune 50 company. This company didn't care what his major was; hell - I don't think they even care what his cumulative GPA is going to be when he graduates - they just wanted a graduate from a top-14 school in their corporate office. Every single one of his classmates that isn't pursuing a post-grad degree got the same type of offer from a comparable corporation. That's why people are breaking their necks to get into these kinds of schools.

Edit: Corrected a typo