<p>No. While I think a college education for one’s children is worth stretching for, I don’t think a “prestige” college education is. If I could easily afford it and that’s where my child wanted to go, so be it. If it was a financial hardship, even though do-able, I’d look for another alternative. There are so many good alternatives to an expensive prestigious private school that IMO there’s no need to make the stretch. My view is influenced by the fact that both DH and I went to run of the mill undergraduate schools, yet were still accepted to top tier graduate schools, received excellent educations and got the jobs we wanted.</p>