I kind of see it all as a bit of a blessing…

by atxND, Friday, April 10, 2026, 07:36 (9 days ago) @ domer.mq
edited by atxND, Friday, April 10, 2026, 07:53

In the sense of freeing us from these antiquated notions of the “right” way to apply to and attend college.

It’s less like this in Texas, but growing up in the mid-Atlantic there was so much pressure to get into the best school to then do XYZ and it would all make or break our lives. And the stickers in the back windshield and the bragging. Much of it legacy immigrant mentality, I suspect.

And sure it all matters, but life and success are not so reductive and few of us at 18 have any clue what is “best” for us or how many other variables and weightings will play into that.

I always tell the story of my uncle, a medical doctor of modest academic institutions, who desperately wanted his daughter to attend a particular elite liberal arts school, and when she chose another, similarly elite liberal arts school, he refused to wear a sweatshirt of that school out of spite. Eventually she went on to Harvard Law, and he couldn’t wait to put on that stuff, but I always felt so bad for him and her.

Anyway, it’s liberating for kids to be able to pick the spot they like most or best without the pressures of it meaning EVERYTHING. And that’s a healthy thing.

Edit: my oldest is still too young to be in the college admissions funnel, so ask me in a few years and I may feel very differently, but I remember that pressure and I’m not sure it’s best for anyone.