<p>I was hoping the thread wouldn’t go in this direction. I guess I didn’t explain myself well in the first post, for which I apologize. Yes colleges are more important for one’s career’s sake. But part of the elite college culture is that parents and students worship college as more than a job seeking tool and rather as near spiritual experience or coming-of-age that is invaluable and indeed priceless. Hence the concept of the “dream school.” Families that wouldn’t think to go beyond the public school system for high school are suddenly delighted to pay $200k for the elite college experience – the implication being that college is unique, important, separate from all the other levels of education. This is coming from a suburban perspective. I grew up in a suburb with an okay public school system. There was lots of prestige grubbing for colleges, however, and not entirely for the career advantages. I understand other people’s experiences are different. Yet even for those urban moms worried about elite kindergartens, if I’m reading the situation correctly the worry is over getting into the right elementary school as the straight and narrow path to an elite college, with that being the ultimate prize. But tell me if I’m wrong.</p>