Ah, the joys of being a parent in New York City, a place essentially unaffordable but all but the rich. Those that do throw money away to live there at least have access to some of the best private schools in the world, provided your kid gets admitted after other parents go all CIA on you.

The New York Post has a story this morning about the, uh, application process at elite NYC prep schools like Columbia Grammar, Mandell, and Collegiate. These schools allegedly plant parents on tours to observe how prospective families interact with each other. No smacking little Sophia at Mandell!

These spies then report back to school administrators with all the dirt they've accumulated. Further, the turncoats relish their spying because it allows them to get ingratiated to the school's power players, so they can then put in a good word for their own friends.

The Post quotes a woman named Terri Decker telling parents to be on their best behavior: "You're being watched by everybody," Decker says. Decker runs a firm called Smart City Kids, which coaches parents on this process. For kindergarten.

"The main thing to remember is that your kid isn't going to mess up the process," she continues. "You're going to mess up the process by being a jerk."

Enjoy your anxiety-free lives, New York parents.