College Confidential cited in Daily Pennsylvanian

Parents Forum
1

<p>I hope I did this right. Anyway, interesting editorial on CC and similar sites helping/misinforming college applicants.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/444331eb8292a%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/444331eb8292a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Here's a summary:</p>

<p>"Students are turning to online Web sites and message boards for information; Penn should join the trend
April 17, 2006</p>

<p>It's easy for us to turn up our noses at the college process. After all, while I certainly remember agonizing over every detail of my applications, I almost have to laugh at the high-school students currently panicking. Don't they know it works out for the best?
But that's easy for me to say -- I'm at the No. 4 school in the country. For all of us, it worked out about as well as it could.</p>

<p>There is a whole world of people out there for which the process has just begun, and there is no shortage of tools to help them survive the process. This past year saw a tremendous boom in a new aid device for the college application process: the online forum. </p>

<p>On these sites, anyone can post questions for current college students, other applicants or any other site members, sometimes seeming just slightly obsessive. One Penn hopeful on CollegeConfidential.com, one of the most popular sites, has the username "Whartonorbust." Another user, Brocollie, got information about the new Vagelos Program In Life Sciences and Management.</p>

<p>"We did not feel that there was ... a Web site that really dealt with college admissions in a helpful way and provided a lot of the info people needed," said Roger Dooley, managing director at CollegeConfidential.com.</p>

<p>"I get a comforting feeling from people that are going through the same thing," said April McLeod, a current freshman at Texas Lutheran University who has used several online forums.</p>

<p>But are these forums at all accurate?</p>

<p>CollegeConfidential has done its best to provide reliable admissions information, including having university representatives on the message boards and an "Ask the Dean" section staffed by a senior college counselor. </p>

<p>After all, anyone can post anything they want on these boards. Any non-professional that offers advice in CollegeConfidential's "What are my chances?" forum is operating mostly on hearsay and personal experience, which, while providing an interesting perspective, are hardly reliable. Even current college students can make inaccurate statements to potential applicants.</p>

<p>"You have to look at individual members' comments," Dooley said. "Some members are very knowledgeable; ... [they] have the most credibility."</p>

2

<p>Thank you for posting that link. Interesting article. I think it is a great idea if colleges have their own discussion forums for prospective students that are staffed by admissions personnel, others who work at the college, as well as current students. It is always best to get specific information about a college, or even opinions about a college, from first hand accounts or the direct source. </p>

<p>Those forums, however, would not take the place of CC because CC deals with a myriad of college admissions topics that are not specific to individual colleges. I'm not referring to the What Are My Chances threads, but more to the discussions of college admissions, selection, etc. </p>

<p>Readers on CC need to realize that some information in posts is inaccurate because any lay person can post here and say just about anything (within the Terms of Service). However, readers can judge for themselves the validity of certain posts based on reading certain posters' posts over a period of time and ascertain their credibility. We have many very knowledgeable posters including many parents and students, as well as posters who work in this field. </p>

<p>CC also offers a place of support to just meet up with others going through the same process. While CC can be used to glean information, it also serves these other functions.</p>

3

<p>Apparently there are CC readers on their staff and of course their articles are frequently referred to over on the Penn forum. I'm sure this site is a great resource for story ideas! Another CC- Penn connection happened last week at Penn Previews, when we sat next to a young man I recognized from CC (because of an unusual hometown location). S and this young man hit it off and are talking about becoming roommates next year! As they say, how cool is that?</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
S and this young man hit it off and are talking about becoming roommates next year! As they say, how cool is that?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>OMG, I can just see it. Another line on the housing questionnaire: Are you a CC poster or child of one? :)</p>

5

<p>That IS very cool, indeed!</p>

<p>Marite, I like your suggestion, too. It's funny but not too far fetched. :p</p>

6

<p>LOL, Marite!</p>

7

<p>When it comes to information, I'd say that the Daily Penn would be well served to improve the accuracy of their own reports on Penn. They constantly report the least accurate admissions' numbers.</p>

8

<p>thats me in the article!</p>