Why does affirmative action still exist in the United States? Why is race a factor during the college admissions process? Does the color of a student’s skin determine their success in higher education? As an Asian American high school student, I get the raw end of the deal when it comes to affirmative action. Asian American students are estimated to have a 140 point SAT score disadvantage when applying to universities. So simply because of my race, I am given a handicap when I apply to college. In a country where all men are created equal, my sweat and hard work counts less than the work of my 5% Native American peers. How are politicians and legislative bodies able to argue that this somehow works towards equal opportunity? I believe in equal rights and opportunity more than anything and this policy is anything but. This attempt to level the playing field is the same as requiring an 8 foot basketball player to run on his knees because his height puts him at an advantage. Am I to be punished for growing up in a culture that stresses education? The best way to ensure that all races have equal opportunities is not to make it easier for certain minorities to get a job or get into college, but to educate and train those minorities so that they can compete. Instead of generalizing a race, why not create programs that educate poorer neighborhoods and stresses ambition? The solution is not to spoon feed them jobs and opportunities they do not deserve, but to educate them so that they can handle these privileges.