One reason for the mobility gap may be the depth of American poverty, which leaves poor children starting especially far behind. Another may be the unusually large premiums that American employers pay for college degrees. Since children generally follow their parents’ educational trajectory, that premium increases the importance of family background and stymies people with less schooling.

At least five large studies in recent years have found the United States to be less mobile than comparable nations. A project led by Markus Jantti, an economist at a Swedish university, found that 42 percent of American men raised in the bottom fifth of incomes stay there as adults. That shows a level of persistent disadvantage much higher than in Denmark (25 percent) and Britain (30 percent) — a country famous for its class constraints.

Meanwhile, just 8 percent of American men at the bottom rose to the top fifth. That compares with 12 percent of the British and 14 percent of the Danes.

Despite frequent references to the United States as a classless society, about 62 percent of Americans (male and female) raised in the top fifth of incomes stay in the top two-fifths, according to research by the Economic Mobility Project of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Similarly, 65 percent born in the bottom fifth stay in the bottom two-fifths.

By emphasizing the influence of family background, the studies not only challenge American identity but speak to the debate about inequality. While liberals often complain that the United States has unusually large income gaps, many conservatives have argued that the system is fair because mobility is especially high, too: everyone can climb the ladder. Now the evidence suggests that America is not only less equal, but also less mobile.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/us/harder-for-americans-to-rise-from-lower-rungs.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2091791&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=4295921",#21882099)

Today, I am married to an MD (from a family of means) and am in BIGLAW. I accomplished this thanks to grinding and striving and in the pursuit of DAT prestige. And on top of it all, I'm of MIDDLING intelligence.

So it definitely can be done.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2091791&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=4295921",#21882151)

this is why stats like these are useless as fuck. If anything, the problem is culture/family values, not the system. If you're raised well, you can succeed out of literally any environment in America.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2091791&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=4295921",#21882812)

BUT NIGGERS SCORE LOW ON THE SAT SO THEY ARE LOW IQ

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2091791&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=4295921",#48110701)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2091791&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=4295921",#48129360)