People Are Sharing “Cheat Codes” For The Game Of Life That Actually Work, And Here Are 30 Of Them

In an ideal world, we would all be at the same starting point in life. But the reality is that some people might have it easier than others. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) did a report on how being born wealthy in the U.S. leads to a more successful life. It's called "Born to Win, Schooled to Lose," and it focuses on one premise: "To succeed in America, it's better to be born rich than smart." 

At least that's what Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the CEW and lead author of the report, told CNBC Make It. The report found that "poor kindergartners with good scores are less likely to graduate from high school, graduate from college, or earn a high wage than their affluent peers with bad grades."

Another study from 2018 raises even more questions about the very foundations of the American Dream. These researchers found that intellectual kids can come from poor and rich families alike. The differences start to show later on in life because rich kids tend to have more opportunities.

The numbers from the research show that 24% of "high-potential people born to low-income fathers" graduated from college. And 63% of children with intellectual gifts born to high-income fathers attend and graduate college. "This raises concerns about wasted potential arising from limited household resources," the researchers wrote in their conclusion.