<p>Thanks for all of your reasoned and interesting perspectives. I am just going through the admissions process with my oldest D. While I think that we are pretty well-equipped for the journey and she is making good choices, I have been fascinated by the often conflicting advice as well as by the mix of procrastination, indecision and confusion that seems to govern the lives of her high-performing classmates as they try to navigate this process. </p>
<p>The problem with general advice is that it’s, well, general. Kids often fall outside of the lines, like to think they do or figure “what the heck.” I do think that they are at least hearing that they need to apply to a safety they like and not just a throwaway choice.</p>