<p>My older son is also 13. I've learned a great deal from CC posters, but perhaps most importantly I've learned just how difficult it is to gain acceptance to an elite university. My son's dream is to go to MIT. I would have assumed that, if all goes well, he would be admitted. I've learned that if all goes well, he'll be seriously considered and will have a 10-20% chance of admission. My son has read some of the articles and other materials I've learned about here, and he understands the situation. His dream is still MIT, but he will not count on going there and he understands that there are plenty of other schools that can meet his needs.</p>