<p>Sure, if I were applying for college at this very moment, I could see how this section of the site might help... or it might give me the worst headache of my life. </p>
<p>What people are posting makes them seem good to me, but they're shot down and discouranged from applying to ivy league schools. From what I've read on college admissions, it seems that there's also a personal factor involved in the process (essays, interviews, etc.) How could you possibly judge someone's chances without knowing them personally?</p>
<p>A recent thread asked if the predictions were accurate. In some cases they were right on the mark, but often when the group shot a prospective applicant down, he or she got in anyway.</p>
<p>Collegeconfidential is a great site, but I think that this particular portion just perpetuates the stress and competiton of college admissions. When I apply, I'm definately not going to bother with this. Does anyone else agree?</p>
<p>Yes I do, but not for the same reason as you. In fact, as the stats show, the "personal" attributes of an applicant only count in most cases after they have passed the numbers tests. Published data shows that admissions is far less of a mystery than CC will lead you to believe. Simply, the class ranks and SAT range at top colleges for unhooked candidates is very small.</p>
<p>b) I think that half of the kids on this site think that they can get in anywhere the want. And obviously, that's not the case. A lot of kids who post have a college list that reads like the top 7 schools in the nation. And maybe a SUNY or a UTexas school. The idea of match schools seems to be lost on a lot of kids. Seeing as Harvard rejects more than half of the valedictorians who apply every year, at some point one has to step back and realize that chances are slim for everyone, even the best kids, and there's no such thing as a guarantee. I think it's a lot healthier to get shot down than it is to be buoyed up and then dissappointed.</p>
<p>It's a good way to get some outside information if you don't have decent college councelling at school, and if you haven't seen others try to get into the top schools. It is nice to walk into the admissions process with some idea of how you rank. Granted, no results are totally accurate, but they are an idea.</p>
<p>I will never bother with the my chances thread. I know the replies I will get anyway. If you have a decently long list of ECs, omit your exact rank, and have a 2250+ SAT score, they will tell you that you have a good chance for anywhere. Which is BS.</p>