@professionaldad Point taken that I am a bit salty about the admissions process, and I’ll try to change my tone.
To your point, I’m not saying the kids at the elite schools aren’t honest, modest, independent, etc. What I am trying to say (and maybe failing?) is that the admissions process at those colleges is encouraging those kids to become less independent (hiring a professional to help with applications/tests demonstrably helps admissions chances), less of a team player (starting a charity is much more impressive than volunteering for one that already does good work), less honest (exaggerate your accomplishments so you can stand out in the crowd), etc. I just think that is a poor lesson for those kids, but I know many of them will still remain honest, humble, responsible, etc. My criticism isn’t aimed at the kids, just the system that they have to navigate to go to an elite school.
Your story about the test prep for one period for an entire year is wild. In the grand scheme of life, what an incredible waste of time for those kids! Why are we as a society rewarding that? I don’t have all the answers but I hope we can figure a way to change this.