For Asian-Americans, a changing landscape on college admissions

Well, it can be a problem in the sense that it conflicts with some goal that you have. I’ll give a very specific example. If you think it’s important for your child to spend 3 or 4 hours a day practicing a musical instrument, even though your child does not have the talent to be a really top performer on that instrument, this will not be helpful if your goal is admission to Harvard for that child. In fact, it will probably hurt, because she will have to forego other extracurriculars in which she might excel. Now, is this idea of the importance of practicing a musical instrument intensely a cultural norm among Asian families? My observations tell me that it is–indeed, it is one of the things that Amy Chua emphasized. Is it a “problem?” Not as long as you understand the implications, and still think it’s important.