I don’t think OP was bashing the schools (caveat, I was just told in another thread that my opinions don’t matter - so maybe take this with a grain of salt). I think here on CC, and in life, some parents get too caught up in the prestige of schools because they feel where their child goes reflects either positively or negatively on them. The whole “we” applied to x and such is indicative of how intertwined some parents are. Then, there’s also this fear (I’ve been guilty of this) that if they don’t go to that top school, they won’t get a good job, won’t be successful, etc. But, it’s really all about what a student does him/her self that determines their future. Can connections help? Sure, but they can come from everywhere. And, then the person has to perform. And hundreds of colleges will prepare you for this. Isn’t the best college the one where you ended up and that you love? (S is attending a college no one here (including us) had heard of before and can’t imagine being anywhere else). I think that is what OP was getting at.