If you have private school dreams for your brilliant child, Hoerle is the woman to know. The vice president at the National Association for Independent Schools was recently appointed executive director of the Secondary School Admission Test Board, overseeing the SAT of private school admissions. Parents of 2-year-olds stress out about which pre-school tracks to the Ivy Leagues. Is that necessary?

It’s really up to the family — their wherewithal and their priorities. In my family’s case, we had an excellent public school option for elementary school. My daughter was a little bit behind on skills when we switched her to an independent school as a sixth-grader, but it was still the right fit for us. Every family needs to make those choices.