I think people reading my comment and getting stuck on "wealthy" are missing the forest for the leaves. My point was that unless you were lucky to be born privileged, regardless of level of privilege, your only way up is if you have excellent education (especially if that education includes privileged friends like you would get in a private school), a hunger and singular focus to get out from your shitty situation, and copious amounts of luck.

People born rich have no idea what it takes to climb out from living in public housing. Had my mother not spent a huge chunk of her paycheck on my private education, and had federal grants and low tuition not existed in the 90's, there's no way I would have had the life I have now.

Looking at tuition prices now pisses me off. I guess the crack in the window people like me squeezed through was too wide, so they tightened it down further.