Too often parents chase the latest fad in college admissions. They jump onto the bandwagon of community service (saving children in Africa!), or squash (did you read about that Ivy League craze?), or women’s softball scholarships. Top colleges see through these shenanigans like Superman through a chain-link fence. Quite simply, top colleges want intellectual superstars. High grades in rigorous classes. That’s the cardinal criteria in any college application. Add some academic gravy on top – conduct research, take summer classes at the local university, publish, do field work, ace the SATs – and you’re doing more to build your profile (and your brain) than jumping the next flight to Sudan. Speaking of SATs, consider SAT tutoring, Santa Barbara.