<p>One of my kids is like curiouser’s kid – hung back in high school and really hated competition. This kid didn’t even apply to any reach schools, since this kid envisioned them as being full of the same overachievers encountered in our high school, who would fight with each other over a point on a test (the kids in the school heard all about the parents who were screaming at each other in the guidance office over who should be the Valedictorian.) Our high school had about 350-400 in the graduating class, and is one of those Newsweek medalist schools that sends 90%+ to college including many Ivys each year. My kid went to a state university, got into the Honors Program based on a good ACT score, and was thrilled to be at the top of the class in those anonymous 400 student entry-level classes that were graded by student number. It was a huge ego boost for my kid, expecially when some of the other kids in the honors program (including a roommate with perfect SAT scores and a full ride) rec’d lower grades. I see that my kid is becoming a much more confident person.</p>
<p>It’s all about fit.</p>