I don't agree with all of what the author has to say, but this is nonetheless full of valuable ideas for young folks bound for or in college, and probably their parents, too. The core of it, to me, was the price paid by kids whose parents are vying for them to enter an elite college; people are just giving their selves up for the "golden ticket", and it may not be worth the cost of admission. (Psychologically speaking, of course: economically, it probably does make sense, which is part of why it's so pernicious.)