<p>Kids are socialized to want grades at the exclusion of everything else, because the perception is that is all colleges care about, whereas anyone who has been around CC for any length of time is all too familiar with the “my 2400/4. 0 kid got rejected at HYPSM and ‘less qualified’ kids got in” threads. Most selective college admissions offices are looking for well-rounded, interesting kids; but too many parents and students don’t get that. </p>
<p>Also, it’s not the end of the world if a kid winds up at a so-called “second tier” college, although prestige whoring parents can make it seem so. </p>
<p>I am well aware that in many places, the behavior that is described in the article does not obtain. I live in a poor, rural community where some years, the val goes to CC, and it’s unusual for anyone to go to a school even as selective as our state flagship. But the author is talking about upper middle class suburbs, where her research has found the hypercompetitive atmosphere to be prevalent among many (certainly not all) students and parents.</p>