Michael Thompson, a psychologist who consults in K-12 schools, describes the high levels of anxiety he sees among high school juniors and seniors as they go through the college application process. Thompson believes the admissions process is a poor rite of passage to young adulthood because it focuses on the wrong questions. Parents and families obsess over whether a child will get into a particular elite college instead of the more important question: "Will this teenager grow up to be an independent, productive, loving adult?" Teachers can play an important role in bringing perspective to the college application process, helping kids sort out college options and supporting young people through this rocky transition.