We’ve all heard stories of overachieving teens who’ve set their sights (and hopes and dreams) on the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities. They have perfect grades, excellent test scores and impressive extracurriculars. They seem tailor-made for these kinds of schools. So, they apply—and what happens? They are often deferred, waitlisted and rejected. We’re left wondering, “Who actually gets into these schools and what could these kids have done differently?”
At Arlington Magazine, we decided to look into it. “Behind the Ivory Tower,” by Tamara Lytle, examines what elite colleges and universities are looking for, according to a variety of experts, including former admissions directors and college counselors. Lytle also interviews several accomplished young adults who provide much-needed perspective on the college admissions process and, most importantly, the outcome—finding the school that’s right for you. (Hint: it’s probably not called Harvard, Princeton, Stanford or Duke.) For me, it was the University of Richmond. Go Spiders.
Shifting topics, parenting styles have certainly evolved over time. I’m a Gen Xer, so I hail from the latchkey generation. Our parents’ method of child-rearing has been described as benign neglect. We were often left alone to solve our own problems. In response to that aloof style, the pendulum swung toward more hands-on parenting approaches—like so-called “helicopter” and “snowplow” parents who micromanage their kids and remove obstacles from their path. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the pendulum is swinging again.
One of the newer parenting styles that is getting a lot of attention is called “sturdy parenting.” “Like a Rock,” by Susan Anspach, looks at what this approach entails, how it is different from its predecessors and why it’s so popular with Millennials. We all want happy, well-adjusted, resilient children. Perhaps this is the child-rearing model we’ve been waiting for.
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I hope you find our September/October Education issue to be interesting, informative and enjoyable. As always, please email me anytime with questions, feedback or story ideas. Letters to the editor should be sent to jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine. Thanks so much for reading Arlington Magazine!
Greg Hamilton, Publisher