Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
I (truly) don't see this problem as being even primarily about PG children, so much as any HG+ student.

The solution, clearly, is to improve the education for NT students and MG ones, and to figure out some means of devaluing the darned titling/club membership for parents who are using the entire thing as some kind of social status.
It's not about social status relative to other parents for me but rather about whether getting my children into an AP class or a highly selective college will improve their life prospects. I have little reason to believe that Harvard et al offer a much better education than less famous schools. But anecdotally I'll say that one of the most intelligent and successful people I know
(1) married someone from the same prestigious college, where they met
(2) is a business partner with someone (who I consider less impressive) he met at a famous business school

There are advantages to your children of being around successful and intelligent people, even if you know that the institutions that select those people do not directly add much value. There are scores of people who are more successful than they would be otherwise because they hobnobbed with a Gates or Zuckerberg in college or high school. You can call me mercenary, but please don't call me vain smile.