@JC1228 Wow, your kid gets 1500+ regularly on SAT test as an 8th grader? Amazing. My kid got “only” 155 on a practice PSAT as a high school freshman. I would have never guessed at that point that my kid would eventually get into Stanford as a REA applicant. Looking back, we just supported him in everything he wanted to do and encouraged him to find an area of his interest without putting pressure to get into good college or get all As. In fact, he got several Bs in math/science AP classes. Just know getting all As and perfect SAT/ACT score doesn’t mean your kid will get into HYPSM or Caltech. But my advice is to show your kid that you care about him, be supportive of his endeavors and encourage him to try different areas – especially those activities that develop leadership and/or inter-relationship skills with both teachers and students – and find his interest area. Teach him to be independent.
Even Stanford, he chose to apply and he decided to go there as a full-pay student, despite my encouraging him to seriously consider attending a top 130 ranked state school’s Honors Program which offered him a very good merit scholarship. I wasn’t so concerned about the money spent towards financing his education but losing the benefit of investing the same money so he would be financially stress free (relatively) after college.