By Sosena T.

All that you have isn’t solely the product of your hard work. Instead, it’s the result of a combination of factors that have played a significant role in bringing you to where you are. Because of this, the idea of a society built entirely on merit can never truly exist.

But if no one’s success is entirely their own—then whose is it?

The accident of birth has contributed to the establishment of societal classes since the days of Ancient Greece. When we look at the “meritocracy” system in America, it’s clear that what Americans pride themselves on is not so different from that of Greece. It, too, is tainted by chance.

Two high school students in Princeton, NJ—Aryan Ahja and Hoin Lee—who are currently going through the grueling college application process, said that success today is closely related to “individual connections” and comes with “a certain degree of bias.”

Bias may help someone advance in life, but that’s not true meritocracy. A fair playing field would need to exist—but that can only happen in utopian societies. Not in America. Not in 2025.

According to Nicholas Fata, a graduate student at Princeton University, the poster boy of meritocracy—the American Dream—is actually exclusive. The world we live in has restricted the possibility of prosperity due to various barriers, from economic limitations to social inequalities. And while the American Dream may mean something different to everyone, the role of merit in achieving one’s goals is often far smaller than we like to believe.

So can a true meritocracy ever exist?

Maybe questions like these—mine and yours—can’t be answered with a single explanation that quenches all thirst for reason. But acknowledging the random advantages and inequalities of life can strengthen our understanding of today’s society.

Sometimes dreams are just dreams. But looking toward the future without limits in mind?

That’s better than any American Dream.