Another aspect that is often overlooked is grad school. I didn't apply, but I'm confident that I was far too middle class and otherwise unremarkable to get into Yale as an undergrad. But that's where I got my PhD and the glamour of that still behooves me to this day.
This is so good and wise and well stated. I want more families to really absorb this. I went to an elite liberal arts college and now that those friends have college aged kids, I see a very narrow focus on a certain array of schools, even if those aren't going to suit their kid! My best friend works in a prestigious prep school, and she sees the mania even more. Your posts have opened my eyes to ALL of the options available.
Another aspect that is often overlooked is grad school. I didn't apply, but I'm confident that I was far too middle class and otherwise unremarkable to get into Yale as an undergrad. But that's where I got my PhD and the glamour of that still behooves me to this day.
This is so good and wise and well stated. I want more families to really absorb this. I went to an elite liberal arts college and now that those friends have college aged kids, I see a very narrow focus on a certain array of schools, even if those aren't going to suit their kid! My best friend works in a prestigious prep school, and she sees the mania even more. Your posts have opened my eyes to ALL of the options available.