Julmarmc:
It is an unhealthy culture no doubt. I think many of us are partly to blame. We obsess over the process and the outcome, even with good intentions, myself included.
This thread, and particularly this post from @vwlizard , might be helpful reading with respect to the pressures, causes, and possible solutions of the college admissions process:
Perhaps we, as a society, need to stop putting so much weight into these colleges being “the best”. They aren’t the best. Just the hardest to get into. It has to do with a reputation that is in many cases a “brand”. And for some reason, kids think it’s the only way they will be a success. Not to mention the parents that view their kid’s awards and college acceptances as a validation of their parenting skills. They have low admission rates because of the number of people that apply. That has nothing to do with their process.
I understand your emotions surrounding this, but this isn’t about the schools. It’s about how we’ve raised our kids. How many activities do kids do solely to get into these universities only to find out they were “worthless”? How much of their teens years were wasted curating a resume rather than engaging in activities that would have been personally meaningful in developing who they really are and what their true passions are? It’s not the universities…
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