<p>I am relatively new to CC...so forgive me if this sounds really stupid but I just don't get
the whole "Chance Me" thing. Most of the people who post that they want to be chanced have stats that would be in range of what typically is considered for acceptance to a given school. I don't think having a bunch of random people who don't really know you or haven't seen your entire application can really provide much input to your chances. In my opinion, you should apply to schools that fit who you are as a person and also that are in line with your academic stats. If you look at each schools Common Data Set you should be able to see if you think you are within range for a given school. I guess I just see so many posting here on CC that just make people feel like they don't have a shot or the opposite people who think they have perfect stats and will have no problem being accepted anywhere. The truth is if you've worked hard and have presented yourself well than it's all just really whether the admissions team feels that you are a fit or not. Having thousands of posters give you their opinion to me is just a waste of time. Hope I didn't offend anyone I just feel like this board is nothing but chances and there is so much more valuable information that we should be seeking as we pursue our journey into college life!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think you’re right that it’s really about presentation. After reaching a certain threshold of numbers and achievements, it’s really about how you present yourself. However, when people make a “chance me” thread they not only “get chanced,” but often advice on what they should leave out of their application, what they should emphasize, what other schools they should look into, etc. </p>
<p>I agree that some people use it boost their ego when they know fully well their own chances, but some people may find the opinions of others quite useful.</p>
<p>o.m.g. Thank you for mentioning this. So many “chances” come back from other hs seniors- kids who have never been accepted to any college. Or, OPs willingly allow other novices to rate their essays- kids who, in many cases (up to ED deadlines, that is,) have never even submitted an application. Why do the OPs include in their pleas that they will “chance back” when, they can’t even judge their own potential?</p>
<p>But, I agree that, where adults are concerned, there is often great collateral advice.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Quoted for emphasis. “chancing” is silly and chancing back is just plain re****ed</p>
<p>Hahaa this is all so true! I’ve posted a few chances in the past but the more I think about it, the more I realize how unnecessary they are. But sometimes I like to comment on other peoples’ just to boost their confidence! :)</p>
<p>I think chance threads are rather pointless</p>
<p>OF course you run into the 2400 SAT and 4.9GPA kids who falsely pine away:" OMG: I"m so nervous"</p>
<p>If they’re that smart to get score andGPA so high, why the heck can’t they analyze admittance data and figure their own situations out?</p>
<p>And I agree the most ridiculous amongst this sea of idiocy is the “chance me and I’ll chance you back” requests. </p>
<p>Basically, I’m so thick that I can’t figure out my own situation but would love an opportunity to share my ignorance with you (because you’re obviously equally as ignorant as I am)</p>
<p>this is all very true. having said that i have submitted a chance thread. quite frankly it just looked interesting to do and i was curious what people would say. i already knew I had a shot, probably not a great one, but a shot still so it was kind of pointless but it was still entertaining</p>
<p>There seem to be two types of “Chancers”: 1) the truly clueless, “I have a 2.1 W GPA and a 1100 SAT, but I go to a really tough school and my mom wants me to apply to MIT, is it worth it?” or 2) the ignorantly egotistical, “I have a 9.9 UW on a 4.0 scale and a 2600 super-scored SAT (I know, I’m gonna take 'em again in May), do I have any chance at New England School of Trucking?” The first group deserve some gentle guidance. The second group deserves all the dismissive cat-calls, disdain and opprobrium we can muster.</p>
<p>Chancing on a public forum with anonymous responders is a classic example of the old saying: Free advice is worth twice what you pay for it.</p>
<p>Glad others are with me on this… I was beginning to think I was missing something! I feel better now, thanks for letting me vent!</p>
<p>like rahuja, i too was kind of curious to see what other people thought of my app. i think we’re all a little (ok, maybe more than a little) biased towards our own app and its useful to hear the opinions of people that gain nothing by rating our apps. like for example, in my case, my knock is a low UW gpa. Now, when i look at that i can just make excuses, but somebody else wouldn’t.
it also is useful because many of the posters probably are more familiar with the schools than i might be. for instance, i’m applying to numerous schools that people in my school don’t apply to. i dont really know how i stack up compared to the competitive applicant for the most part for some schools (yes, i could look at statistics online but those don’t include EC’s and are usually fairly broad ranges). so while i may not know what a competitive applicant is, i can make a pretty good guess based on the average response.</p>
<p>mumurthigal,</p>
<p>I understand the curiosity of wanting to get a sense of where you stand vis a vis other candidates, but the problem with chancing is that beyond the most obvious of statistical comparisons none of us are “in the room”. We have no real clue as to what is actually going to transpire with any given application. </p>
<p>I am always left asking “What’s the point?” We can look at stats, pore over the common data set and talk to others who have applied to an individual school, but to what end? The best anyone can say is that, given the information provided, you appear to be a viable candidate. So what? Since we aren’t on the Admissions Committee you truly have no more information than you had before you asked the question. If it calms your ego a bit, fine, just don’t assume that there’s a pipeline from a given forum to the director of admissions at a particular school.</p>
<p>The real problem is the amount of disinformation that comes out of these chance threads. Respondents will have you believe that there are magical (specific) levels of GPA, SAT, volunteer hours, leadership positions and extra-curriculars necessary for admission and anything short of those numbers is guaranteed failure. Do you actually believe that after 3 years of high school and all the work that goes with it your admissions decision will hinge on whether you were president or vice-president of the drama club? Do you truly believe for an instant that the minimum acceptable math SAT for Wharton is an 800? Frankly, most chance threads seem to discourage the poster not help them.</p>
<p>To me chance threads are like listening to a bunch of fans arguing about who’s going to win the big game - they all have their pet statistics and personal biases but come game time they’ll all be on the sidelines waiting to see who wins and who loses. It’s all heat and very little light.</p>
<p>People generally think from one viewpoint. Different people think in different ways. Generally, it is better to hear from people with different viewpoints to accurately understand how well you would fare in an admissions process. Of course, these are by no means accurate since the only people that will really know are the admissions officer. Nevertheless, it is, I think, important to hear from others as well. </p>
<p>Also, not trying to be negative here or anything, but just wondering: If you do not believe that chance threads benefit the person/think they are useless, why do you even click on the thread? No one is asking you to click on the thread nor should you feel obligated to reply if you do not want to.</p>
<p>WongTongTong,</p>
<p>I never go to the Chances section of this forum, but some posts do slip through under different titles. Second, the title of this thread is…</p>
<p>Am I the only one who doesn’t get the whole “chance me” thing?</p>
<p>Raising hopes that there might be a useful discussion of the rather dubious merits of chance threads.</p>
<p>Vinceh, I agree with your comments, that is exactly how I feel about the whole thing too. I don’t usually click on the chance threads, but it just seems like every other thread is that and I just think there are other things we should be worrying about.</p>