I could hear the screams from my daughter’s bedroom echoing
down the hall. “I got in, I got in!” She just learned she was accepted early
decision to Duke University. It has been her dream school for over two years,
and she put all her emotional eggs in that one basket, even knowing that it is
one of the most competitive schools in the country and one that doesn’t have a
history of accepting kids from her high school. I must admit that, despite
fiercely believing she deserved to be admitted anywhere she applied, I had my
doubts about her getting in, knowing what a crap shoot college admissions can
be. I’d even asked the school psychologist just a week or so ago at a PTO
meeting, “How can we be prepared to help our kids if they don’t get into
colleges they have their hearts set on?”
Her advice was simple and confirmed my own instincts:
