At each stage, the devout proponents of equality will only choose to draw the line further. When students of the 'adversity' quota are unable to get good grades, their grades will be inflated. When they are unable to get jobs, a push will be made for implementing adversity/equality quota in jobs.
Case study: India. In India, every community fights to be included in the backward communities category because the benefits are so frighteningly high. Politicians are elected on the basis that they promise to categorise their communities as backward to improve the opportunities for their children. Other politicians threaten to remove some communities from backward status. Being backward gains you a fantastic advantage towards college admissions, reservation in jobs, and several other free benefits. (including lowered prices, etc). Who will not want to leverage this ?
The US may very well develop the same problem as a natural evolution of this policy with corresponding natural devolution of merit. Where do you draw the final line on adversity ?
If you think this is unrealistic, you are severely mistaken my friend. This simply happens over time. It always starts with "Good Intentions".