The Pressure to Chase Prestige in College Admissions Jeff Selingo

00:00 Why families fixate on elite colleges—and the rise of the “panicking class” 01:15 How rankings shape decisions (and why they mislead) 03:10 The truth about differences between top-ranked schools 04:45 Why choosing a college feels so confusing 06:15 How test-optional, early decision, and the Common App changed everything 08:20 Inside the “black box” of holistic admissions 10:05 Who makes up the “panicking class” 11:40 Reality check: most colleges accept most students 13:00 Prestige pressure as a parenting culture problem 14:30 What “fit” really means—and where to start 16:00 When prestige leads to the wrong choice 17:10 How to decide after admissions disappointment 18:40 What should change in college admissions 20:10 Will parent attitudes shift in the future? 21:30 Closing thoughts

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The Pressure to Chase Prestige in College Admissions Jeff Selingo is an episode from The Harvard EdCast by Harvard EdCast.

This episode is 00:21:54 long.

This episode was published on Mar 25, 2026.

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