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OP I’m a successful electro-mechanical engineer.  I say that not to brag.  I also skated by in school.  I went to a state university.  I studied my butt off every day.  I never cheated as I was afraid that it would come back to haunt me later, I would get someone killed, or put a company out of business etc.  It’s important to do the right thing.
I hate cheaters too.  Keep up the good work and it will work out.
Ph.D. perspective here:
At the undergraduate level and below, it honestly doesn't matter.
All of those people will get random jobs that will promote on merit anyway. 74% of people don't even end up in careers related to their undergraduate major!! And the folks who can't learn the job, will fail. Few of those jobs require much education. Certainly not to the level of a BS, and many of them not even to the level of a high school diploma. We've created a system that frankly puts people through the hell of 8 years (4 hs, 4 college) of education that they don't legitimately need in order to say we're hiring based on merit. It's a joke. And everyone who has really looked at what is required of the jobs that kids' with a BS get hired into know it's a joke.
I mean, it is in fact unethical. And we do punish it when caught. But, frankly, the world has decided that a B.A/S. is now what a high school diploma used to be -- and the standards have shifted to reflect that.
But at the graduate level, it does catch up. You can't cheat your way through a thesis. You can't cheat through a master's at any reasonably good school. You certainly can't cheat through a Ph.D. level degree at a properly accredited brick and morter school.
And, the folks who cheat, don't generally apply to those programs because they do recognize that they aren't as good as their record. Sure, we run into it from time to time. But even in this cynical day and age, when a grad student is caught cheating it's still a big deal.
If your parents are hitting you -- that's physical abuse and a crime. It is not the fault of cheaters, it is the fault of your parents being terrible human beings who need to be imprisoned.  Please seek help from the appropriate authorities. >

i think this is most likely from a highschool perspective, where getting into college is the big thing people compete for. >

Anyone who wants to go to college can. Literally. 
Colleges are competing vigorously for candidates. There aren't enough qualified students to go around.
No one who wants to go to college can't based on admission requirements. They may jot be able to based on self-limiting factors. But that is a different discussion >

Are you saying any old university is the same as harvard? >

What substantive difference does it make if I get a degree from Harvard as opposed to any other public university? >


I studied every day for the SAT/my tests and spent a lot of time prepping, creating flashcards, spending time understanding the material, etc. Hours a day

Do you also hate people who never study and do well organically? >

Um, no. The people that I am talking about can do well if they actually spent time studying. I am upset at people who take five minutes to write a notecard and use it on the test. >

Why do you care if people make a note card if your view isn't based on the effort people put in? >

It sounds like you're envious of people who cheat, and you're taking out your frustration from your family on them. 
People who cheat roll the dice and take the dangerous route and risking their education that's on them. That shouldn't bother. You shouldn't waste time worrying about what other people do and focus on your own path.
At the end of the day you can pick straws and say things about grade curves and what not but thats just the begining of a blame mentality. Them cheating isn't going to stop you from getting the job you want. Them cheating is not gonna stop you from living the life you wanna live.
Life is unfair. Some people work tirelessly to get hired for a job just to get beat out by the manager's friend's nephew. If you continue this mindset you're gonna be bothered by a lot of the real >

First and most importantly, if your parents are hitting you for getting bad grades, or for any other reason whatsoever, please seek help. Tell a counselor or trusted teacher as they’ll be required to report it.  This is obviously illegal and the life long trauma this can cause is much worse than any cheating by your peers.
As for the cheating, it’s gonna happen. In school and in life. There’s no good argument for cheating, but I would say that most people cheat out of anxiety. It’s also pretty easy to spot if you’re knowledgeable in whatever subject matter is in question and idiots tend to weed themselves out somewhere down the line. I’m not saying fakers can’t and don’t make it - there’s tons of dumbasses in high paying corporate jobs - but generally speaking the cream will rise to the top. Simply put, it’s not worth the time and energy to actively hate every person who cheats. 
Also, IMO, the onus is on the test creator / teacher / whoever to make the test secure / un-cheat-able. It’s not hard to ask questions that require actual thought and analysis.  
Lastly, if you’re that fed up, be a narc and narc on them.   You’ll burn bridges, but hey, you already think you’re morally superior to them so why not. >

I understand that there are many cheaters that have anxiety. I mean, I don't cheat but I also have anxiety taking tests. But my anger is directed towards students who don't try at all and don't bother picking up a textbook or some notes and cheat.
When did I say I was morally superior to them? >

You didn’t explicitly say it, but you do, right?  As you rightfully should to some extent.   I just don’t think it’s worth getting angry about. I understand and empathize with your thought process in that a cheater will get into a better college and therefore a better grad program and therefore a better job. You’re correct in saying that’s not fair. No one can argue with that. But there’s not much YOU can do about it, so why harbor all this resentment?  What you can do is think about yourself and work hard and you’ll do fine. >

Yeah it sucks, but at this point will it prevent you from getting into the college you want to get into? If not then I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Cheating in college is less feasible and more damaging to yourself and potential career. 
I’m not sure what your relationship/dynamic with your parents is, but I’d start holding my ground/pushing back once it gets to an abusive level. Sorry to hear about that, it’s definitely not ok. >

I mean, possibly. The school I go to is one of the highest-ranked in the state. Tons of kids get into Ivy Leagues or other great universities, and a lot of kids who are just as smart don't get into them... >

Hold up - I totally thought this was an  r/trueofmychest post. So you’re challenging us to convince you not to hate these kids? It’s not really a “view”, but I can give a stab at it. >

my view is that cheating takes opportunities from others and that cheaters have time to study but choose not to. i mean, maybe it's a bit out of place or badly worded. >


and that cheaters have time to study but choose not to

Is your view that this applies to all cheaters, or some cheaters? >

The ones I’m talking abt in my post. >

It sounds like the bigger issue is with your shitty parents tbh.