Looking back at high school makes me feel like college prep/acceptance was "overblown".

College prep and acceptance were huge for me. I was one of the 5-6 kids in my highschool of 2000+ and graduating class of 800 to go out-of-state. I had prepared my whole life to get in to top-tier college, and it changed everything for me.

I now have a top-tier job, thanks to the amazing education I got at my college, and the prestige of the college itself. I feel like all of my incredibly hard work throughout my school years has finally paid off. I love where I am right now in life.

In other words, if you play your cards right, college prep and acceptance are literally life changing. College acceptance is the main filter of stratification that will cap students' socioeconomic mobility out of highschool. Do well and your potential is nearly unlimited - perform with mediocrity and it will be that much harder to move up the socioeconomic ladder when you leave the egalitarian bubble of college.

/r/college Thread