A top-ranked college may not be best for your kid. Give them these gifts instead

Around the United States, many families are helping teens make important decisions about their college education. While it might be tempting to push kids toward the most competitive school possible, experts urge parents to take a more well-rounded look at what is best.

It's hard not to let peer pressure and your own feelings get in the way as your child makes a decision that feels so public and important to their future, said Kymberly Spector, a parent of a high school senior in southern California.

"It does feel like, when you're in it, that this is the biggest decision and the biggest deciding factor of their future," she said, adding that she strives to keep her daughter's individual experience a priority over competition with other parents.