Transitions are SO hard. Transitioning to CMU may be harder than working at a high level in high school.
Discerning if it’s a stress culture/pressure cooker is very different from assessing a 3.0 ECE gpa (which sounds quite good).
As my kid looks at CMU from the vantage point from his pressure cooker high school, I might ask:
Do you like the challenge?
Are you overwhelmed?
What would help?
What would help you feel more connected?
How can I help?