<p>It is frightening how some parents (via sports/music, etc) have let the competition of getting in to the “right” college shape childhood and family life, regardless of the cost (financial, time, personal). How can we let the college admission system dictate what we do with our children? Does it matter so much that the child gets in to the top place? What is this idea of full-throttle achievement doing to our brains (making us obsessive) and our children’s (making them narcissistic and overly competitive). Does this truly mirror what we want our world to look like? </p>
<p>The upper middle class will never rebel, because it works for them.</p>
<p>One of my kids loves to draw in her free time. Another is an extremely prolific fiction writer, on the Internet, and has a following. Neither of them are going to be entering contests or starting publications, or going the next step so that they can prove to the admissions offices that they have achieved something grand. They practice their art simply because they enjoy it. That’s how it should be. If it were about the competition, or being the best, they probably wouldn’t enjoy it and be so productive. I think the value system of college admissions is doing great harm to our youth.</p>