Op/Ed columnist Richard Reeves doesn’t know what to tell his kids anymore about applying to college. He says it used to be that you could tell them to “work hard, follow the rules, stay out of trouble” and they’d get accepted to their top choice. But these days colleges are turning away students with perfect SAT scores. They’re looking to build a community, create a varied student body. So even if your child does everything right, she or he may not get into the college of their choice. Reeves doesn’t like having to say “maybe” to his kids. But nothing is certain in life. Your child should be just as encouraged to work hard if you say “do the best you can and you’ll have a better chance of becoming successful” as if you said “work really hard and you will be guaranteed to succeed.” Set high goals but don’t set them up for failed expectations. Even if you know they’re going to get into an Ivy League school.