I can tell you that visiting the campus is big. I’ll give you 2 examples. Auburn was top 3 on my list and now I visited, it’s like a bad dream I had. Where as Oklahoma State and Mississippi State not any where on my list is now in my top 5.
@stlarenas Self proclaimed “over thinker” here. I have learned, however, to ** keep my over thinking to myself.** I don’t dare tell my son that I spent half an hour researching whether he should classify a class “honors” or “advanced” in one of his applications, etc, etc.
I need to find a ** different ** hobby.
@STEM2017 it’s funny because I literally was not thinking at all about applications 4 months ago. Yeah, we would visit a college here or there when we were traveling anyway over the past year, but that was it. It wasn’t until she posted twice on here and came to me with a couple colleges I’d never hear of an a napkin that I started even thinking about it! And now I have a color coded spreadsheet, with 8 tabs, and links, and filters…etc.
I keep asking her what are her friends doing about college apps and she insists nothing. She has one friend who is super smart and focused. I asked her what college she was thinking about and she said Brown. I said what else…she really needs a safety school. I guess they must of talked because last week her friend asked if I would help her because her parents are clueless. I’m excited to help her start her own spreadsheet!
poblob14, I thought your OP was very funny!
@STEM2017 wrote
yep, me too. I have a “I swear not to talk about college jar” sitting on the kitchen counter, and I have to put a dollar in it every time I talk about college outside of our designated “college chat” time.
Yeah, it’s got money in it. My H busted me on it yesterday :P. It’s making the kids a lot happier, though.
LOL all of that. I think CC may be some kind of support group for parents with closet spreadsheet issues. (Sign me up.)
I felt the same way when I joined CC when my oldest was a senior. I was thrilled when she improved her ACT from an 18 to a 25. But I din’t feel like I could share it here. Everyone here seemed to have a 35 and was asking how to improve and how could they possibly get into their favorite school with a 6.0 GPA, 2,000 hours of community service, etc. It’s nice to find that there are normal parents and kids trying to navigate the crazy competitive admissions system. I’m a senior parent again this year and we have a totally different path to follow this time around. Looking forward to gleaning some good advice from fellow CC users.
My biggest take-home lesson from being on this site is that it’s good to look at the financial side of college first. What can you afford? Then from that pool of colleges you look at fit. Fit includes graduation rates, size of school, majors offered, distance from home, intimate-sized classes or large lectures where shy persons can be anonymous, etc.
Finances + Fit = Success.
@EllieMom , thanks for that comparison. In my case, I literally attended the university that was nearest my house. It never occurred to me to do otherwise. But with my daughter its been a bit closer to scenario #1, though not to that extent. She strongly felt she needed to be planted in the right place.
I can already tell with my son, it’s going to be a thousand times easier. Like @porcupine98 , I have already got a list in mind for him, and it’s only because I have spent so much time here. I have learned about many colleges through osmosis and I have mentally kept track of schools that sound good for him. Next year, I will give him suggestions, hand him the Fiske guide, and I bet he will say “yeah, sure, those sound good.”
The chance me threads are absurd. I know this because I have chanced kids for schools I’ve never even heard of, based solely on what they report about their stats, and on what I ask Dr. Google.
My extra speshul snowflake kids did not get into their top choice extra speshul snowflake schools. That may or may not make them average, but it sure did make me humble.
I actually think that if you give some information about your child, people will give you suggestions for schools that you may never have heard of that will be good options. So my suggestion would be to start a thread with your child’s stats, what general type of school they want (secular, religion based), area of the country, interests, possible major (STEM kid or artsy) and anything else you think is relevant and throw it out to the group. I have seen names of schools proferred that I have never heard of that turned out to be perfect fits for the kids. The parents on CC can be very helpful but you do have to weed through some of us curmudgeons.
@MomofThree95 I am so glad you wrote that. It’s clear that there are a lot of extremely gifted students (and parents of geniuses) here, but the vast majority of teenagers aren’t going to Ivies. It got me stressed out when I first started reading boards on CC, because my rising senior is “normal,” but you know what? Better to be at a school where she will be happy and not stressed, anyway. A repeat of the high stress pressure cooker situation that was junior year is something we’d like to avoid from now on.
Also, I met my husband in college, just a small LAC that people out here in California haven’t even heard of much. We are so happy in our lives, professionally and interpersonally. I know lots of people who went to top schools who aren’t happy. Professional disappointments, divorce, etc. So… What’s important in the long run? A happy life.
I agree with @Tperry1982 . Start a thread in the college search and selection forum. My D ended up applying to at least three colleges we had never heard of as a direct result of helpful responses.
My “normal” older son with good but not great stats went to a reasonably-priced regional state school 50 miles away from home that offered an excellent program in his major. He graduated on time with honors was was immediately hired by the company where he interned. He does the same job and makes the same money as co-workers who went to “prestige” schools. And a lot of his friends who went to our “cooler” state flagship/safety school to the nation still haven’t graduated or found “real” jobs. Give me normal any time.
So, what’s wrong with a stained Cubs shirt? I’m not sure I like the OP’s attitude!
Although we know it’s not a champaign stain.
@2muchquan - the last time the Cubs had champagne-stained shirts, Nicholas II was Tsar of the Russian Empire.
@Bestfriendsgirl He played for the Mets, no?
@2muchquan it is impossible to like your post enough.