<p>You know, from reading all these posts, it seems to me that lecturing and being reactive to protagonist is really not appropriate. It actually seems mean. Most of us are parents, right, aren’t we the adults? Why are we getting personal and insulting? This young guy has obviously had a tough time of it and has certainly taken many of the comments here personally. Why not-if we have something actually useful to add, such as college suggestions-not insults or lectures, do it? There are enough rude comments on here already. The problem is, once you write them you can’t erase them!</p>
<p>I can tell you, protagonist, that you have higher GPA/SAT scores than some people I know who have gotten into the University of Washington. Especially out of state-it IS an advantage, they want the money. Though many last year were waitlisted first, then accepted (because they didn’t know how many people would accept). I would consider that school a match. Though the application is a pain in the butt, they have their own application and don’t take the common app.</p>
<p>Who is your post directed to, busdriver? I think most posters are trying to be honest and share opinions and suggestions, but many seemed to get attacked or ridiculed in response, especially earlier in the thread. Oldfort, for example, was essentially called a liar earlier, upthread somewhere. I can understand why she might react to that.</p>
<p>Hi jym. My post was a general post, not specifically directed to anyone. I merely have noticed that the OP seems to feel attacked, whether someone is telling him about a kid who has far better scores than him or a tougher story-or when people tell him to forget it, he’ll never get into that school. It just seems counterproductive to do so, or to react back in kind. I mean, if you saw a kid who was defensive and having a tough time-would you attack back, or try to help? Why not give suggestions about possibilities he could look into?
Otherwise, we’re just bickering, insulting each other and reacting back. And most of us here just want to help.</p>
<p>Absolutely correct, busdriver. Sometimes though, it seems that there is a bit of the “shoot the messenger” going on as well. Certainly most parents want to be helpful and supportive, and if some are being a bit more blunt, direct or realistic, that may not be a bad thing- just a stylistic difference. There has been a lot of helpful information shared by parents here. I hope it is helpful to the OP.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know, there were definitely some great suggestions. But sometimes it’s hard to look at the helpful ones when you’re so upset at the others. Even when you get old like me! I’m just trying to find a way to turn this into a positive and helpful experience for the OP and end the things that aren’t working.</p>
<p>No one has been attacking the OP. We did try to share our knowledge as well as personal experiences.
However, the OP seems to think that by sharing these, we are e-thugs or liars; we are telling him how difficult it is to get into the schools he listed because we want to discourage him from applying in order to get our own kids into them.</p>
<p>Protagonist: "Once again, I find it hard to believe but people in here do not know much of what they are talking do they?</p>
<p>Thanks for all help but the college confidential crowd is not helping me at all, in fact I believe most people in here are ill informed." (#18)</p>
<p>“I have had great things said about me by my classmates and real life people (not e-thugs).” (#53)</p>
<p>In response to Chelsea 0011 who wrote: “My S had almost the same GPA and test scores and applied to NYU and was accepted to the LSP.”</p>
<p>Protagonist (#55):
</p>
<p>Busdriver, kudos to you for being so magnanimous. But note that only one person has been insulting.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t have bothered to post if I have read some threads OP’s has started. They are all of same theme over and over again, with the same message from everyone. I only responded because I thought he was new to this forum. </p>
<p>The best advice he got (I think it was from poetgrl on another thread), is to get therapy. He should get a handle on his temper before he goes to college. Through out many of his posts (on other threads too), he goes from a reasonable person to a person totally out of control with his emotion. Frankly, I would be concerned to have him as my child’s roommate due to his unpredictable outburst.</p>
<p>Marite, I see your point, and I know it’s hard not to react back. But my point is that many of us here are adults, and we are OLD! Too old to react in kind. I see a bummed out defensive kid, who is having a tough time of it, and was just looking for help. Maybe I’m delusional, but I think at this point only positive comments will be of use, otherwise we’d be better off letting this post die a natural death. Then again, I’m just sitting here bored out of my mind in a hotel room, with nothing else to do!</p>
<p>" “My S had almost the same GPA and test scores and applied to NYU and was accepted to the LSP.”</p>
<p>He did!?
I bet you are lying!!!
LIAR!</p>
<p><em>notices something</em></p>
<p>wait did this happen in the real world or the college confidential world?</p>
<p>real world you say?</p>
<p>Oh he probably did because if he wanted to get into NYU (in the college confidential world) he would have probably not made it since NYU is for students with perfect SAT scores and 4.0 GPAs, also they need to have some good ECs, like be the kid who goes over to Africa to find a cure for aids, then he MAY have had a shot.</p>
<p>(I hope you see that I am being sardonic).</p>
<p>Congrats to your son, I hope he is doing the best there."</p>
<p>So OP…if you really want our help, please be honest with us so we CAN help you. Which is it…$10K or $25K plus housing/board? Big difference and it could make a huge difference in your college search and selection process.</p>
<p>“I want to say what others are trying to say to you. I understand that you want to leave Georgia. Honestly, I have no problem with that. I think the college years ARE a good time to experience a new geographic area. BUT there are a LOT of schools between your Georgia safeties, and the schools you put on the list on this thread. Even YOU mentioned some others that are probably worth revisiting…what happened to the SUNY schools, John Carroll, U of Minnesota? Why did those schools get dropped in favor of the ones you added? These schools have modest prices and are in the affordability range for your family…and are FAR from Georgia.”</p>
<p>I am allowed to apply to 8 schools. I am applying to two in state and 6 out of state. Out of those 6 I want at least 2 reaches. I know I am at a disadvantage but I am going to apply anyways. John Carroll is still on my list, I am deciding between a SUNY.</p>
<p>Also thank you busdriver11.
As for Oldfort, I don’t want her/his advice, if I am going to apply to a good college then why bother to stop me? Basically he/she is saying that they want me to not apply and that I have no chance. Anyways yes it is bickering, pointless too since I am going to apply to two reach schools anyway so he/she along with everyone on this thread can go on and write an essay about how bad I am as a person and how I will never be successful. Go on ahead, tell them to write my destiny for me.</p>
<p>Also, Thumper1, you, Busdriver and pugmadkate have been extremely helpful and for that I thank you guys. Everyone else, well I don;t hold grudges so if you guys want to keep on bashing me then go for it.</p>
<p>at latest they said no more than 10k per year for college so that is 40k total…</p>
<p>I still want to apply to some colleges which will be reaches though.
I just want to get out of GA thats all. I want to apply to a competitive university (at least 2 of them) to see if I get in, not a waste of money but my parents say that if I do get into a good university like UNC or Cornell or Boston College, they will do ALL they can to pay for it.</p>
<p>I do a lot of youth mentoring and career mentoring for young professionals from under-represented backgrounds.</p>
<p>Having had some experience, now, I drop the mentee the moment I notice the “attitude problem” (actually after a couple of warnings with no improvement), because past experience taught me that it’s mostly a waste of time to pour in mentoring resources to kids and young people when they have terrible attitudes. My energy is a finite resource, and I would rather use that for kids/young adults who have the right attitude to benefit from it.</p>
<p>It’s a shame: OP is the kind of kid who will greatly benefit from good mentors when s/he goes out of the rural small town in deep south, but with his attitudes, he will drive away all the well intentioned people who would have helped him otherwise.</p>
<p>One thing I instill in the young people I coach is the ability and grace to show appreciation for other people’s good will. This creates a positive, virtuous cycle that further encourages other people to help them: the end results are amazingly positive.</p>
<p>Contrary to his paranoia, nobody on this thread was out to get him or lying to him. If anything, after repeated insults and attacks from him, the patient and well intentioned parents kept coming back with suggestions and input, which is really amazing…</p>
<p>It’s time to let this thread wither and die. No point trying to help a kid who respond with attacks, insults, abuses, and accusations. There are other kids we can help.</p>
<p>“The best advice he got (I think it was from poetgrl on another thread), is to get therapy. He should get a handle on his temper before he goes to college. Through out many of his posts (on other threads too), he goes from a reasonable person to a person totally out of control with his emotion. Frankly, I would be concerned to have him as my child’s roommate due to his unpredictable outburst.”</p>
<p>^ Whining and hurt feelings, so helpful. You are surely not disgruntled and I am amazed to see that internet behavior can determine behavior in real life because if you ever saw me in real life maintaining composure over being called racial slurs and being pushed around you wouldn’t be saying that.
Heck, your advice is egregious anyways, go on ahead and whine some more, I am done with you.</p>
<p>Hope you don’t feel I am bashing you, OP. I am from the state and am familiar with some of the issues you bring up. But in fairness, its hard to be helpful when the financial numbers you post change, the lists of schools being considered change, etc. </p>
<p>One last thing-- Don’t know if you’ve visited UNC-CH Hill. It is beautiful, but the population is 88% from NC, and not all that different from UGA (other than the size is smaller and they cheer for their basketball team not their football team!) And FWIW, my younger s applied to UNC. He had a 3.81 GPA from a top private HS, 2290 SATs, National Merit finalist, nominated to apply for the UNC Robertson Scholarship, lots of volunteer work for which he won a big local award, etc. He was wait-listed.</p>
<p>Attitude problem? Are you kidding me, you people were the ones rushing in here saying repeatedly</p>
<p>“you will never get into a good college”
“your GPA is too low”</p>
<p>and now I have the problem? Yea some adults you are. I came back because some people wanted to give me advice.</p>
<p>Believe me, I have been called g00k, yellow *****, turbanhead (not that I wear a turban but I am south asian), 711 rat etc.
I didn’t punch anyone or call them out, I simply just kept my head up and moved on. Yea, there are racists out there and there are bigots out there, you guys are fortunate enough to have not lived that type of life because if you did I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up being a violent fiend. YET I worked my butt off my senior year. I can’t go outside of my house because every single time I do some hicks come by and get a problem with it, I remember walking down the street with a friend of mines (white girl) and I got punched on the back of my head and stomped on. The guys who beat me up said</p>
<p>“your type better stay away from our women”. AND MY friend was from New York, she doesn’t condone that crap!</p>
<p>As a matter of fact, I can’t be helped when the people TRYING to “help” me need help themselves. Thumper and busdriver, if you guys want to help me, please feel free to message me.</p>
<p>JYM, you and chelsea have been helpful as well, PLEASE message me because I don’t want to come back to this topic again.</p>