This article utilizes a social capital perspective to explore the benefits and harmful effects of strong ties between parents and schools in enhancing college access for students. While focusing on social capital in the form of parental participation, the article goes beyond a functionalist approach of the social capital theory as adopted by Coleman, whereby the social networks within parent groups and between parents and teachers are viewed as providing common positive outcomes for everyone in the school. Instead, while acknowledging the inherent advantages of parent-school social networks, the article looks at social capital theory from a conflict framework wherein ends are not the same for everyone in the school body. This review thereby discusses how different groups of parents compete for power to define schools' functions. In the process, some powerful groups of parents enjoying strong social capital can lead schools to take actions that neither benefit the school as a whole, nor are they in the interest of children whose parents do not share the same social relationships. The review, therefore, argues for treating groups of parents differently instead of uniformly as one homogenous entity, based on their varying levels of social capital vis-a-vis schools.