In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fighters． We're pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice． I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening． We see our kids' college background as a prize demonstrating how well we've raised them． But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them． So we've contrivedvarious justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths． It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford．
We have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around． Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever． Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable． Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts． All that is plausible--and mostly wrong． We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters． Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools． On two measures--professor's feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse．
By some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings． The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-point increase in a school's average SAT scores． But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke． A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere． They earned just as such as graduates from higher-status schools．
Kids count more than their colleges． Getting into Yale may signify intelligence, talent and ambition． But it's not the only indicator and, paradoxically, its significance is declining． The reason:
so many similar people go elsewhere． Getting into c
A.they earn less than their peers from other institutions
B.they turn out to be less competitive in the job market
C.they experience more job dissatisfaction after graduation
D.they overemphasize their qualifications in job applications