As entrance into top colleges becomes more competitive, more high school graduates are taking an extra year to attend "post-graduate" college prep schools before applying.

They are attending these schools to beef up their academic transcripts and GPAs, The New York Times reported last month.

Although post-graduate programs have been offered at college prep schools, the article said that there are more applicants than in past years.

The increase of students who are delaying college to have a better chance of admission into the college of their dreams is partly the result of the United States' decaying educational system.

In response, public high schools should offer more college preparatory classes instead of trying to push students through the system like a herd of cattle. High school should be a time for personal growth and exploration — not busy work and meaningless assignments.

Many times, academically poor students are written off and not encouraged to strive to higher goals when they are the ones who need the most help.

Also, students who attend schools in urban areas are already at a disadvantage when pitted against students who have the money and the resources to better their chances of getting into Harvard or Yale.

The average student who does not have a trust fund cannot do anything about this, so it is up to the colleges' admissions offices to take into consideration when students are applying.

Students who take an extra year to prepare for college should not be penalized but at the same time the admissions board should not penalize those who did not have the same opportunities.

The problem is much larger than a handful of students who are taking time off to pad their academic transcripts. In a country that stresses equality for all, higher education is a privilege and not a right.

Companies in today's competitive job market almost always demand a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement for an entry-level position.

Because of this, a college degree is inevitably a necessary prerequisite in the attainment of the American dream.

Also, a college degree is more than a door opener at interviews; it is the pursuit of knowledge.

Every student in this country deserves the chance to attend college, regardless of whether they have the money to actually do so.

For that reason, high schools across the country should be willing to go the extra mile and prepare their students for life after graduation.