Why the extra focus on college admissions?
Jones: It can be a big driver. Many of us in college admissions have set standards that are so high, and we’ve been sending the message that kids need to be perfect. We get rewarded by U.S. News rankings for admitting those kids, and as a result we’re caught up in it. The other piece is that we have a tendency to want kids to look alike. We want them to take so many AP classes, we fixate on the scores, and oh, by the way, they should have so many activities and they should also be leaders. They get headaches, or migraines, or stomach problems — all the classic signs of stress — because the adults in their world are holding them to such a high standard. There’s no room to fail. Ginsburg: College admissions is just one of the factors that is pushing kids too fast too soon to grow up but, unlike, say, poverty, it’s one of the forces we can address easily. Q: Where do parents fit into all of this? Jones: Parents are a big problem, covertly and overtly. There are some parents who want their
Related Questions
- We heard that nonprofits might be eligible to receive an extra donation of Microsoft products this year, instead of one. How does that work?
- An article on our company has been published in the FIDI Focus magazine. May we order some extra copies of the related magazine issue?
- Does every college have sports teams? Or do some have sports programs and others only focus on academics?
