Sarah Banholzer

Period 4

Good News Column: Your genes affect whether you go to college or not, not how well you’ll
do once you get there

With the current hysteria that the college application process creates for students, many people
are looking to the question of why some students are just naturally more likely to go to college than
others? The answer is our genes.
In a recent study done by King’s College London, it was discovered that 51 percent of differences
between students who go to college and students who don’t, depends on our genetics. 36 percent is
a result of “shared environment”, or family and school backgrounds of the students. “Non-shared
environment,” or individual circumstances accounts for 13 percent.
Research has shown that in poorer areas, students are less likely to move on to college than in
wealthier areas. This may be due to socioeconomic circumstances, but a large percentage is due to
whether or not our genes are suited for college.
This idea is proven in the case of Amador. The percentage of graduating students who move on to
college at Amador is very high due to a number of factors, one being genetics. However, the shared
environment of Amador students is also a prominent factor. For the most part, the students of
Amador share similar environments when it comes to the school they go to, the wealth of the town
they live in, and the wealth of their family. For these reasons, Amador students are more likely and
more motivated to go to college than students from schools in other areas.
This is not to say that some students do not have to try as hard in school as others because of
their genes. This is simply saying that genetics help to motivate students to do the best they can.
High school is a great time for students to learn important lessons that will help them in the future.
“​High school is a good time for students to develop a strong foundation of skills that they will
draw upon in college and/or in the working world. Students will continue to work on these skills
throughout their time in high school, community college, four-year universities, and in their
careers. These are important skills that most people will continue to develop and utilize their whole
lives,” said ​Ms. Bell, Amador Counselor​.
Although we cannot change our genes, there is good news for those whose genes may be lacking
in the college department. The fact is, that even though our genes heavily determine whether we
attend college or not, once we are in college, genes have little importance in whether we succeed
while we are there.
After making it to college, the “shared environment” of students diminishes, and they are left to
succeed on our own. College differs from high school with the fact that in college, students come
from different schooling, family, and socioeconomic backgrounds. With this lack of similar
environments, college students are able to be independent and carve out their own paths to
success.
It seems that once in college, everyone is on a level playing field and genetics no longer plays a
role in educational success. Although our genes will help us get into college, it is our individual
experiences that will help us succeed in college.