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[quote=Anonymous]This was an interesting question and I had to think long and hard about this.  I have a college grad, one in college now and one going in the fall.  I will say that you have to fight to manage your anxiety and your kid’s anxiety level in the DC area.  I compare it to taking a final exam in college and once it is over, all your classmates are talking about the answers they got and none of them are the answers you had.  It is like you are always concerned about whether you are putting your kid in the best position.  That was a shock to DH and me.  We are both from middle America.  The talented kids in our HS went to college, but going to the flagship school in the state (or a nearby state) was/is acceptable as they are well regarded schools (think Univ. of Michigan or Univ. of Wisconsin).  A few kids each year went Ivy or T10, but they were the unquestioned superstars.   In navigating the DC college ratrace with our own kids, we had to tap into our “middle America” side and our own personal history.  What I mean is that neither one of went Ivy or even T10 elite, but we have been very successful with our Flagship U undergrad and T20 grad school educations.  So that is the message we had to embrace with our own kids.  They all did well enough to get into good schools – but we ALL had to internalize that success does not have one path.  You can go to almost any good school, do well, take advantage of the opportunities and end up in the same place.  The key was picking a place where you can be happy and successful.  It may be an Ivy or a T10 elite and it may not be.  You have to do that work to find out.  But you and your kid have to absolutely fight the notion that only a limited number of universities can lead to success.  FWIW, my oldest graduated from a regarded SLAC, my middle is at a T10 elite and my youngest will be attending the Flagship U in a neighboring state. [/quote]

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