<p>Just a quick question. It seems that everyone on CC is like a genius (high GPA's, high SAT's, superb EC's). My question is...do the people on CC represent the top 10/25/50% students in the nation? Because, it's so demoralizing when you see a chance thread that says "chance a below average student" and that student has like a 4.2 GPA. Personally, I doubt the people on CC accurately represent the nation as a whole. </p>
<p>-_-
man, this site makes me so sad</p>
<p>No way does this site represent the nation as a whole, or at least my state as a whole. It's just a group of students who are exceptionally hard workers who happened to find this site by some means or another.</p>
<p>Let's consider this though:</p>
<p>A lot of people who come on these forums are usually aiming for colleges that are ranked 50 (according to USWNR rankings). I'd say that the people on CC definitely represent the top 25% of students in the nation. But then again, aren't you also part of the crowd who's vying for that position in a top college? </p>
<p>The short of it is that no, CC doesn't accurately represent the stats of the students in the entire nation, but it does show accurately show the stats of who you're competing against, assuming that you're aiming for UCI or higher.</p>
<p>I agree with Nuclearfree :)</p>
<p>actually cc kids i am sure represent top 15 percent of the nation</p>
<p>The high schoolers that post on CC are generally the ones that care about their future and, as a result, try more in high school.</p>
<p>I agree with lipitch...I find posting here demoralizing and a motivation to try harder.</p>
<p>you guys are all kind of off on this one. A lot of the students on CC have 2100+ SATs,3.7+GPAs and good ECs.. i would say that is easily top 5 % of the nation's population. Look at the SAT percentiles and you will agree. This site does NOT represent top 50 or even top 20 percent of the population. The number is much much less than that. So when you see a guy with good SATs, GPAs and good ECs whining, it is because they are aiming higher than 95% of the population too. Its all relative. Someone may be a genius at school. but an average student on CC. However, that does not mean you will fail in life.</p>
<p>Shaving creamm66 ... there is also lots of strutting going on ... I would not believe all the stats you read here. Be very selective and avoid the demi-god conversations including the stats.</p>
<p>Just check out the number of posts to the different forums. There have been 707,662 posts to the Ivy League forums. That's for just eight schools. All of the other schools in the United States have attracted just over twice that, 1,548,591 posts. It should be pretty obvious from that alone that CC posters are not your average students.</p>
<p>There are lots of average students on CC too. If you go to the cafe or college life you will find more normal people. I like seeing threads asking about colleges I've never heard of. It reminds me that there are people out there looking at Hartford instead of Harvard.</p>
<p>I hear ya. My son wants to be a school psychologist/diagnostician. I've posted some questions about psych degrees, etc. here and several times have received the response, "He should just go ahead and be a psychiatrist." Um, he's not actually good enough at math and science to get into medical school....</p>
<p>I asked about Rice and received a comment out of the blue since I note that I am from CA. "If you can not get into the UCs then you will not be able to get into Rice" ... I did not even mention UCs. ... lots of prestige fixated folks ... but it is easy to ignore them.</p>
<p>I do believe that most who post on CC represent the top 15-20% of the nation. This does not include intelligence but opportunity. Usually people applying to top schools have in some way stood out in their environment, or done something exceptional if from an under represented part of the country. Many/most have had to opportunity to do something/go to a school that provides them with it. </p>
<p>Honestly, I have read posts for some months but officially joined this summer. I am a rising senior and I came to this sight to look for some answers to my common questions. I am at the top of my class, taken the hardest classes, yet I have been stripped of all confidence to apply anywhere. I have won some school awards (there are not really very many to be awarded to begin with), however none are national or international like USAMO, USABO, USACO (honestly I heard of the latter two only on this site). I have not been on missions anywhere (like I have the money/time). I have shown growth (however now I think that's gone...). People talk of all these competitions and opportunities and I just stare in awe. </p>
<p>In short, I agree it creates low self-esteem. I don't know whether I should put my list of schools into perspective, or I should just apply to ivy league schools anyway hoping only the pinnacle of top students have posted their statistics. </p>
<p>I decided it is just outstanding students who decide to post and the rest feel unnecessary insecurity. I think I'll apply to and ivy league anyway.</p>
<p>Naw. Totally made me go, "Bring it!"</p>
<p>But then again, I've been raised to be an overachiever. =[</p>
<p>I agree with post #8. Top 5%, at the outside Top 10% would represent the median poster here.</p>
<p>NightmarerecOn wrote: "I find posting here demoralizing and a motivation to try harder."</p>
<p>Actually, the opposite. If you are motivated to try harder (good for you, BTW), this site is moralizing, not DE-moralizing.</p>
<p>sigh... i know how you feel- i thought i was doing pretty okay until i joined here and then-
ick
i should just quit.
(i'm kidding, please don't send me any emokid comments)
i think the people on here are the ones who either
a) have stats to brag about, and want to show that
b) have stats to brag about and need advice to stand out from the A group
or
c) have okay stats and need advice about getting in and paying for it
...
i'm squarely in the C group, but i think the As and Bs are mostly the top 10 in high school who are shooting for top 50 schools</p>
<p>It lets you know what you are up against at select colleges. Information is a good thing.</p>
<p>Of course, CC doesn't reflect the country as a whole. Think about it: The average score on any part of the SAT is between 500-520. Probably virtually all of the students who take the SAT including those scoring much lower than average go to college. After all, only college-bound students bother to take it.</p>
<p>At least 60% of students in this country are admitted to their first choice college. </p>
<p>It's only the very high stat students who know they will be applying to the most competitive colleges who'd in general bother to be on a site like this. Most other students don't feel the need for a site like CC because it's not that hard to gain entrance to the colleges they're considering.</p>
<p>And, trust me on this: There are plenty of "top" students who have never even heard of College Confidential. :)</p>