Parents who didn't grow up in the American system, and who may have moved to the U.S. in large part for their children's education, feel desperate and in-the-dark. Some shell out tens of thousands of dollars for consultants as early as junior high.

Parents who didn’t grow up in the American system, and who may have moved to the U.S. in large part for their children’s education, feel desperate and in-the-dark. Some shell out tens of thousands of dollars for consultants as early as junior high.