While many school choice studies focus on i ndividual parents’ preferences\, we simultaneously address the structural c ontext within which families make decisions and the strategies they develop in response. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 24 Black middle-class par ents of young children\, we demonstrate that the parents sought well-funded \, academically rigorous schools populated by racially diverse middle-class students. Using administrative data\, we then show that such schools are e xceptionally rare\, reflecting the structural realities of US society. To m anage the ensuing dilemma\, the parents implemented one of two school-selec tion strategies: “assiduous rationality\,” which entailed collecting inform ation to make a maximally informed decision\, and “trusting a close tie\,” which entailed identifying a network member who had been successful and fol lowing their lead. Regardless of their strategy\, the parents exhibited sig nificant institutional mistrust and anxiety. Our results point to the const raint exercised by social structures\, which can thwart parental goal reali zation regardless of class resources.
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