Getting ahead based on merit is the ideal scenario. Having success given to you based on anything else strips away the satisfaction of earning what you deserve.

Since 2020, however, there seems to be a growing “war on merit.” The San Francisco School Board voted to end Lowell High School’s entrance exam so that every student could attend in the name of opportunity and equality. As a public school, I understand the rationale.

Over on the east coast, Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson High School also decided to eliminate its entrance exam. TJ, as the school is commonly known, is also a public school and is consistently ranked one of the top high schools in the nation.

Growing up in Northern Virginia, I never considered applying to TJ. My parents didn’t push me nor did I have a particularly keen interest in math or science.

I just remember losing a tennis match to TJ’s #1 player, who went on to attend Harvey Mudd College. He’s now a computer engineer at a tech firm and probably makes about $500,000 a year.

The National Merit Scholarship Scandal

In a surprising investigation, it was discovered TJ school officials supposedly withheld telling ~1,200 students over five years that they had received National Merit Commended designations. It doesn’t seem like the media is talking about this potential scandal either.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a national academic competition for high school students to provide financial aid to…