Reddit mentions of The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids

I would talk to the school's counselor. Your parents must know you're in a Harvard-feeder. Why go to nursing school at Harvard? Is it that special? At any school, someone has to get the Cs (especially if they bell), and maybe it's you, so what? I could have got straight As at my regular school and didn't, mostly because I didn't want to live with the stress (the 3.7 was hard enough, and I got plenty of shit for it). It took me a long time to realize a C is average, not flunking. Being average is just fine, it's flunking that's not. I'd love to hope that this is their way of telling you to not set your sights so high, because private schools aren't worth it, Harvard-feeder or not. There's only about 10 private schools in the nation that are worth paying for, and that's just for name recognition, and trying to get in to them is enough to break anyone. You can buy grades at those schools more easily than anywhere else.

And you know who was on the list, you can put it back, if you really have your heart set on those schools. Your academic counselor should be able to help you. A psychological counselor would be able to help you. Can you get your parents in the same room with your academic counselor?

And for the record, you will not be the first person at the school to scale back. Just imagine the stress some of your peers must be under. Ever read The Overachievers? Kids get pushed so hard, that dropping out or 'slacking off' at a public school would seem a god-send. There's no way you'd be the first.

Worst-case scenario, split the difference. Apply to all of them, your schools and their schools. If you get in to yours, see what scholarships they throw your way. I got in to the local private school, but was only offered $5500 toward a $15000 education. BS!!! I got a full ride to the better of the state schools, an I'm proud of it! I love my alma mater like none other, and I came out with no debt. The no debt is important, trust me on that.

Keep working at it. Find some middle ground. Don't go for broke just because you can. But don't give in just to make them happy. If you're dead set for private school, you'll get what you want. Take them to the counselor with you, they'll come around.