<p>Menlomom: No, there are maybe 50 colleges for YOUR child that might be a good FIT. Not that there are thousands of colleges in the US. Let’s remember, if Fit is important at the top 20-30 colleges, it is important to every student, depending on their academic and personal profile. Or is FIT just important for the elite student, and every school out there fits all the rest? I think the poster got it right.</p>
<p>bookmarking for later reading. from what i skimmed i could tell it was going to be at least semi decent. </p>
<p>also xiggi: it was kind of obvious that he was either a long-time lurker or someone who decided to make an account just to post this. -rolls eyes-</p>
<p>Stay away from the Chance Me forum, and encourage your student to do the same. High school students tellling other high school students where they are likely to be admitted – useless at best.</p>
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<p>I think it’s more like 20,000. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Thanks for the support. I like what you all have added to the thread.</p>
<p>Lasma, I agree, it should be more like 20,000. </p>
<p>I love the comparison of CC to a clearance rack. </p>
<p>And I agree with laflaum: love the kid on the couch - not the kid you wish you had, and love thy safety!</p>
<p>Love the words of wisdom. I’ve been reading CC for 2 years now, but only recently have become a poster. I’m amazed at all the high achieving children, and all those who were smart enough/fortunate to save for their kids college education. Unfortunately that wasn’t me so I appreciate all the advice for scholarships, financial aid, and about schools that give merit that appear on this site. My only wish is that there was more posts about schools in the midwest and more about the second tier schools.</p>
<p>OP is right, you can tell he/she gets it. When I joined in ‘04, CC was almost exclusively rich, elitist, and skewed to both coasts, mostly East/Ivy. Not no mo’. ‘Value’ colleges, which had gotten short shrift for many years on CC, are now in vogue out of financial necessity. Look for that trend to continue.</p>
<p>The Financial Aid threads this year have been almost morbidly fascinating. I can almost see the posters with the light bulbs over their heads that have just lit up, realizing that they actually have to come up with $35 or $40 grand per year to go to college, even though their Johnny has a 3.9 and a 32 and everybody had told him he’d get a full ride. Our next door neighbors have two D’s in high school & I want to shake them & say ‘watch out, something wicked this way comes!’ :)</p>
<p>“Morbidly fascinating” says it all! There are a few threads in particular from this year, started by fairfielder, in the financial aid section, that ought to be required reading for anyone aiming high with limited funds.</p>
<p>Also, two really interesting old threads here in the parents forum:</p>
<p>What I learned about free ride scholarships
Update on What I learned about free ride scholarships</p>
<p>(I don’t know how to provide the direct link to these. Help, anyone?)</p>
<p>Hey, Im a senior member and have got bitten by some nasty posters who feel their opinions are smarter and better than mine. But Im hooked and Im nice. Not all senior members are the same.</p>
<p>Most of the senior members are the nicest, most insightful, patient people here! A few need to remind themselves that this site is “discovered” every day by new people. I kept stumbling onto it when googling specific questions a few years ago. It took me awhile to figure it out. I think it would be great if someone could start a thread that consists of links to threads and posts that have information that everyone needs. There is a lot of really great stuff buried so deeply in threads that finding it is sort of a miracle. Sometimes it’s fun to paw through the sales rack, but sometimes you only have 15 minutes to run in and pick up a pair of black shoes on your way to a meeting!</p>
<p>Direct link:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>To post a direct link, go to the thread you want, copy the Web address and paste it into your post. It will look very long, but when you hit save, it saves as a direct link.</p>
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<p>At the risk of being derided again for having no life (in re 10,000 posts) and be reminded to be nicer to “new members” I will respond. </p>
<p>Having been here since the beginning of this version of CC (and much earlier) I know a bit about how this site evolved into its current incarnation. Further, one could only imagine that among the thousands of posts, I would have liked to avoid repeating the same points over and over again. Fwiw, regarding organizing older linked threads in the forum HAS been done, and more than once. It does not work very well, and I know this because I have done it more than once, and with limited success. One of the weak elements of any “best of CC” list is that it is inherently subjective and cannot possibly address what is important to each individual who visits the site. </p>
<p>However, you should know that the creators of this site did NOT want a static site that is meant to function as a reference source because the information gets stale and perhaps misleading. They do not want people to come here to merely “consult” a stack of stories; they want members to participate and they want the information to be fresh and lively. This is accomplished by joining, lurking, asking questions, and perhaps answering the queries of others. It can also be accomplished by selectively pointing to older favorites. </p>
<p>I believe that most everyone --ranging from whoever has been here for a long time to having just joined-- has a list of suggestions to make CC a better or different place. Yes, I would love to have an easier search tool (but I have learned that googles works VERY well on this site) and I would love to have a lively and up-to-the-date list of linked FAQ. But, but, that is not the way this was envisioned by Roger Dooley, the architect of this site. And, somehow, it is hard to challenge his vision as College Confidential, despite its glaring shortcomings, has been wildly successful.</p>
<p>When reduced to its bare essence, this site is an exact reflection of what members want. If someone wants to spend time searching for great historical information, he and she can do it. If someone wants to post a thread that is chock-full of great links, he and she can DO it. CC does not have a dorm full of working elves who will do it for you! When all is said and done, the presence on the fora of THAT particular thread will rely on the continuing level of interest it generates. After a while, it is bound to be dragged down in the arcane world of past threads as it is replaced by newer and more timely information. And all that is needed is a new post to bring it back to life on the first page of a forum.</p>
<p>As a final note, I believe that new members who discover this site rarely see their questions unanswered, including the most esoteric and challenging queries. In some cases, the answerers might even include members of those “no life” and “mean senior” groups!</p>
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<p>Knock yourself out.</p>
<p>In the college admissions forum … Admissions Hindsight and Lessons Learned … Featured Discussions … What I Wish I Had Known About College Admissions … Is a great thread to skim.</p>
<p>This is a great thread! I have met some wonderful people in my time on here-the vats majority of posters are terrific.</p>
<p>Just like in life though there are people better off avoided-and you will find out yourself who they are.</p>
<p>I have learned so much about the college process during my time on here-it’s been priceless.</p>
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<li> Keep in mind, if you decide to join and post anything: </li>
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<p>READ THE TERMS OF SERVICE and FAQ for College Confidential before you post anything. In particular, be aware that, other that allowing a brief period of time for you to edit your posts for spelling, formatting, etc., CC does not allow you to change or delete your posts. CC can not delete posts upon request. Doing so would destroy the integrity of the CC archive. </p>
<p>You also can not delete your account at CC.</p>
<p>eastcoastcrazy–your original post beginning this thread was great–quite a knack for helpful but humorous writing you have there!</p>
<p>I wish more “Westerners” would find CC, I certainly do my best to spread the news about it </p>
<p>Be aware that CC can be very addicting–my family gives me grief about it sometimes but then D1 sticks up for me–CC really helped us thru her college search process the past couple years (and the parents in here kept me from going insane!)</p>
<p>OP: I’m one of those CC addicts who rarely post. In the three years I’ve been reading thousands of cc threads, your post is CLEARLY one of the best. Kudos. </p>
<p>I really really wish I’d read your post, or one like it when I first came here. </p>
<p>Lafalum: As good as the OPs post is, all of that advice is secondary to “Love Thy Safety”.</p>