"His view of life has always been, 'If you do a good job, if you really do your homework, if you're thorough and intelligent about how you handle these tasks, it speaks for itself, and the rest will take care of itself, '" Pachios says.

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Second, kids with high-powered parents eager to have their offspring get into good colleges are going to do a lot of homework and stress themselves out with too many activities.

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The good news, you can do much of your homework without ever setting foot on a plane--and it is not only cost-effective but also wise to do so.

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