<p>Went to "Junior Parents Night" at the HS. Brief background, this is a large public HS with a suburban/farm kid/city mix, large economic diversity, minority go on to college (40%), below national average in SAT. </p>
<p>Anyway, this was actually a very nice introduction to the college admissions world, but all I could help thinking during the one-hour presentation is that I could have obtained all the same information (and so much, much more!) simply by cruising Carolyn's website for awhile, or browsing various topics in the Parents Forum. No discussion on Safety/Target/Reach, no discussion on ED/EA, some discussion on EC but not much, etc. </p>
<p>It just made me very happy that I discovered this site during my Son's sophomore year. Kudos to everybody who makes this place work -- mods, kids and yes, even us parents.</p>
<p>I don't post very much but I read CC every day. My Sophmore son's "college" night is next week and it will be interesting to see if it goes the same way as your's (most likely). He attends a highly competitive prep school and I can guarantee you some of the parents will be front and center trying to find out how to get junior into Harvard:p Should be entertaining if nothing else. I have learned so much from this site. I came here asking for help with my Senior daughter who had issues and received fantastic advise. She will be attending a CC a few hours away from home. I had also never heard of the safety/match/reach or Xiggy's SAT study plan. I love CC!</p>
<p>I too give thanks to CC. Excellent admissions advice and LOTS of handholding during a tough process. And some wonderful cyber friendships.
Cheers to CC!!</p>
<p>I'm amazed that even more people don't realize what a goldmine this place is. I honestly have to say that the knowledge gained by reading these boards could well have been a factor leading to an acceptance from S's dream school.</p>
<p>I've gotten more from the time on CC than I could have imagined when I first started logging on here... thanks CC!</p>
<p>I second the cheers for CC. With one child successfully making his way through his first year in college and one that I'm looking a couple years ahead for, this site is invaluable. I've been visiting almost every day for nearly three years and have become an informal expert in our local community. I'm sure that's the case for many of us frequent visitors, whether we mostly lurk or post. :)</p>
<p>Couldn't agree more. In my case, it was a place to articulate the ups and downs of Ds path, and now, even more important, it has given me the framework to let S be S, but give him resources. For example, he did the AMC today, something I never would have known to suggest otherwise. And, wonders of wonders, he loved the last problem and came home talking about how fun it was. An intellectual puzzle lighting up my S. Happiness, and completely owed to cc.</p>
<p>This is a great resource--my kids don't really want to talk about admissions & colleges, but I want to be sure when they need good info, I have it available. I read the stuff on CC & "digest" it for the kids so we can make the best choices we can with the info we get. Much of the info is consistent with what I've read from other sources as well, including "Gatekeepers" and other books giving the "inside scoop."</p>
<p>The folks who post on CC & moderators are generally an insightful & thoughtful bunch, who support one another through the roller coaster of our wonderful US admissions process. <groan></groan></p>
<p>I can't believe how much I've learned from the posters here, in addition to the other information provided by College Confidential. This is one of the few places I can talk about LACs without getting the blank stare treatment. This is my third admission season here, and I have enjoyed following the experiences of many students and parents. And I loved reading "Accept My Kid Please" that was recommended here. </p>
<p>Adding my thanks to the moderators - this is a very well-run board!</p>
<p>One way you can tell how much cc helps...have a discussion with your child's guidance counselor. Ours is a nice person, surely overworked, but start asking questions that are commonplace on cc, especially info about specific schools, and watch the blank stares you get. (ours has an annoying predictable habit...mention a "good" school and her comment will be "oh that's a think tank school").</p>
<p>well, yeah. But I really don't hold that against her. It's a large school, they are overworked, and college counseling is just one part of the job (dealing with potential dropouts, pregnancies, and depression are in the mix). I've found the Guidance Office to be very knowledgeable about the local schools (UD, Delaware State, Wesley, Wilmington, etc.), pretty knowledgeable about the large "name" national universities, but they simply don't have a lot of experience in LACs.</p>
<p>lderochi-- I had the same kind of experience a month or so ago. My wife kept looking at me during the seminar & asking me to give her the more detailed explanations later. CC is a wonderful learning ground, full of folks wanting to help by sharing their experiences. I'm happy to be a part.</p>
<p>Great post Iderochi. Yeah, it's that season again, and there's nothing like going to (even a very good) admissions night at a HS to remind you of how much you've learned at CC. Seriously. So much that we would all consider basic knowledge is foreign at these things. It's not surprising that many of us have become college counseling gurus in our extended families and communities, and some--Carolyn and Suzie, for example--have even turned pro.</p>
<p>I agree with the above. Most of my friends have HS juniors and I'm the one they come to with questions. I wouldn't have known the answers without CC and the 1/2 dozen admissions books I've read - and those were mostly CC recommended! At our HS college night a year ago, when son was a junior, I told the group of parents about CC. The GC had never heard of it and she's pretty good.</p>
<p>When my kiddos have a college/high school/grad school question they always say "Can you ask your CC FRIENDS...?"</p>
<p>Not referrred to as fellow posters, not mods, not internet posters but FRIENDS. So in this now 4+ year process I have met and made some wonderful, insightful and supportive friends with the most UNUSUAL names.</p>
<p>Just wanted to take a moment to thank all on CC who have been so helpful to us. We also have learnedthat we can't rely on our HS guidance department, each counselor now has around 350 students! This leaves precious little time for any in depth counseling. We now have a 'placement officer' to assist in the search and application process, but have realized this is really very superficial and consists mainly of 'stay on task, fill out the forms'
We also get the blank stare when we bring up questions that have been discussed here on CC.
What I am most aware of and grateful for here is the generosity of spirit of those knowledgeable folks who give so much time and effort to help others.
Sometimes I wonder if they know how we value their advice, or how it can
touch the lives of our children. The guidance from Carolyn, Taxguy, Interesteddad, Mikemac (thank you for the suggestion on the SAT book, it made difference +100 points) and many others has been meaningful for us
and ultimately beneficial to our D. Today we are better able to help our D because you cared. Many thanks.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I agree with the above. Most of my friends have HS juniors and I'm the one they come to with questions.
[/quote]
Yep, yep, yep. Same here. They know nothing of CC, let alone my CC persona, but everyone seems to know that I know a lot about the process, just from conversation, so they call me. It's really funny how easy it is to take the knowledge we acquire here for granted. I've gotten "updates" about "new trends" in admissions from our HS that I'd already learned about weeks or months earlier, thanks to CC. If I speak to many of my friends about college admissions with the same assumption of a knowledge base that I would assume in a conversation on CC---I get the blank, deer-in-the-headlights look that is probably familiar to first year physics professors.</p>
<p>Just want to chime in as another "cc -appreciator". The college application process is anxiety-producing for parents as well as students--having virtual supporters and hand-holders makes a big difference. CC is a place you can turn to, even after after midnight, when suddenly it looks like everything has gone wrong or you've made a crucial mistake or you just don't understand the instructions you've been given. And not every new crop of applicants has to "reinvent the wheel"-- we can benefit so much from those who have been there, done that, faced the same dilemmas. </p>
<p>I considered myself fairly knowledgeable about the college game even before I got here--but it makes all the difference to compare notes with others even better-informed and reassure yourself you're on the right track.</p>
<p>As an avid reader and only occasional poster (I read for over a year before I made my first post), add my voice to the cheers. CC is wonderful. Like the spaghetti sauce commercial says, "It's in there." Whether you're looking for a general overview of the whole process, a detailed understanding of logistical issues, a working knowledge of the specialized vocabulary. objective facts about schools, subjective opinions about schools, highly personalized opinions running towards "feel" -- IT'S ALL THERE.</p>
<p>The inherent humor in my nom de plume cracks me up (I'm an easy audience), but it's a giveaway to my personal bias. I can't understand how any student or parent could make a decision of this magnitude without learning everything possible beforehand. CC can't provide you with everything, but what an amazing resource to get you started and positioned to do all the productive things. I've long been a believer that while you can never guarantee a result, you can ALWAYS guarantee the process. CC is an indispensable resource towards guarantying the process.</p>
<p>All that and it's free? Amazing. I'll go beyond quoting commercials and quote the underappreciated comic genius and sage observer of our world -- Yakov Smirnoff: "America: What a country."</p>