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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Here's my take on it.

FWIW, my kids don't do either one (academic prep or athletic coaching).  [b] I am sure they will turn out just fine[/b].  [/quote]

Agree on the last sentence.  However, one's frame of reference for "fine" also changes over time.

I applied to go to school in the US 20+ years ago.  Was admitted to Yale MBA (no merit aid) but ended up doing an MS at Penn State instead because they gave me money.  As a foreigner, no merit aid was possible.  Did I turn out fine? Of course.  Would I have turned out finer if I had gone to Yale?  You bet!  That's what these parents - both the test preppers and sports coaching parents - are shooting for.. Yale and not UPenn.  Can't blame them.  We may not agree with them but as long as it's possible, these parents will try.  [/quote]

I am the PP you responded to.  Spouse and I both attend one of "those schools" that parents are shooting for.  I disagree that it made a big difference.  Sure, there were people in my graduating class there who you see in the news, but I also have classmates who are run-of-the-mill doctors, lawyers, engineers, even elementary teachers.  The people I know who are most successful are those who found careers they love and are really good at, regardless of where they went to undergrad.  I do think there can be an advantage to big name grad schools in certain fields, but those top schools admit top students from all sorts of undergrad programs.

I think people are most likely to be successful if they are not pushed in a certain direction by their parents.  They need to find their own way, and the chances that parents are pushing them into the field that is "right" for them in elementary school seems really slim.  Our kids are smart and hardworking and do well in school.  As parents, we want them to be motivated, which means being well rounded enough to discover their passions.[/quote]

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