Reply to Ever leave the DMV and see successful people who aren't this T20 college obsessed and wonder?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm spending the summer at the beach in south NJ.  
I'm surrounded by grads from Villanova, St. Joes, Lasalle, Temple, Drexel etc.  I knew them in passing (they're neighbors of my in-laws beach house) but now am immersed in their world. 
They're all successful: doctors, business owners, many work in the pharmaceutical industry, etc. 
These schools (especially the Catholic ones) have REALLY tight alumni networks.  I'm always sitting on the beach next to a group of 3 or 5 families who met at St. Joes or Villanova. 
Some are from the area, some came to these schools for elsewhere for college. 
They're well-off, happy, successful.  Some of them own a beach house, some are renting.

Meanwhile in the fall I"ll return to my DC house.  My kids will return to their Big3 high school where they do 4 hours of homework a night in the hopes of getting in somewhere like Chicago 
where they can do 4 more hours of homework a night.

Ever leave the DMV and see people (and their kids) living a MUCH nicer life than you are here and then wonder what the heck you are putting your kids through?  
4 years of stressing about grades to get into a top university (example again--Chicago, Wash U, Cornell, wherever) which probably has half the quality of life of many other colleges so they can work really hard
for another 4 years?  And meanwhile kids all over are living much easier lives and coming out at the SAME place in life.   :cry:

My kids' course is set. I'm not pulling them out and we're not moving (they're in high school).  They'll end up battling it out for a top 30 university admission because that is what is done at their Big3 school. 
But if I had a do-over I really think I would.  
[/quote]

I grew up in that world. I graduated from Public High School and attended a SLAC, not in the top 100, I still went to an excellent grad school, top 25 in its field, and earned a PhD. I make a very comfortable salary. That is why I am not obsessed with private school, I know that DS will receive a good education in Public School because the schools in FCPS are good to great. I know that I am an involved parent and if I think he needs something different then Public School that I will look at moving him. We support his interests and activities. I know from my own experience, and y families experience, that you can do amazing things and be very successful without attending a prestige school.

We are more focused on DS being exposed to a variety of activities (sports, music, and academic) and enjoying his childhood.

You don't have to put your kid through the wringer. You are choosing to run the rat race with your kid. [/quote]

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