<p>None cause I was already in well into college before I found this place. You kids put entirely too much stress on yourselves when picking a school. Then again, I chose my school because it had better weather, I liked their football and basketball teams, and the girls walked around in bikinis when I visited (it was Cal vs. UCLA), so what do I know. It's turned out pretty well though.</p>
<p>I totally laughed when I saw some of these people. Not to mention, many people on here lie (kind of sad, yes?).</p>
<p>yeah, i completely freaked out the first time i got on here....its stressful looking at other peoples stats...</p>
<p>I totally agree with everyone. This website has turned me into someone who obsesses about their grades constantly and that anything less than perfect is terrible. In a way I think its good because it gives me motivation to work harder. Runningncircles1 is right, I am sure many people on CC lie, like the kid who took all 37 AP's.</p>
<p>^ Agreed. CC makes me work harder. If it were not for CC, I would totally think I'm a hot shot or something (since none of my friends go to big name colleges) Luckily, CC puts me in my rightful place so I will keep working hard for grad school.</p>
<p>CC is frightening. But after you get over that part you can just chill.</p>
<p>Ya when I discovered CC I was so happy because it's like an inside look into college. I told a couple of my friends about it who are a year younger (so looking into colleges) and they both got really really intimidated and I felt like that was a mistake...</p>
<p>Mine's pretty skewed, I think. But that's okay. I'd rather be pessimistic than optimistic anyway. >.<</p>
<p>True, being pessimistic is definitely the way to be, at least about your own chances b/c if you get rejected you expected it, and if you get accepted you're totally ecstatic.</p>
<p>There is one thing I wish I knew before the whole admissions ordeal and receiving...that waitlist doesn't mean you have a really really good chance of getting pulled off and attending, but that it means that it is pretty much just saying "Sorry we couldn't let you in, but we do see you as succeeding here if we had the spot...too bad we don't and ur not comming here <em>laughing under breath</em>". lol</p>
<p>Hey, I won a speech/essay writing contest by being pessimistic. I said my future was bright because I have extremely low expectations.</p>
<p>My perception is not skewed at all. I just dont believe any posts in College Admissions and What are my chances? sections, mainly hang out at SAT, AP, High school life and Cafe, so i'm cool. :)</p>
<p>I think CC gave me a little bit of shock of reality. I don't say that because I feel like everyone on this website is an amazing student and I'm not. I just feel that way because before I joined CC, I didn't know I was supposed to be caring about my future college so early. There are people on here that are like "I'm in 7th grade! I'm going to go to ______ and study ________. Where do you want to go?!" And I'm like "What?! I'm a rising junior and I have no idea!" I took it for granted that people that go to my school and are in my grade know where they want to go and what they want to do. I was just like "Whatever, a year is a long time to decide." I play with those people a lot and tell them I'm not going to college and they freak out. It's great fun. ;)</p>
<p>Another thing about the competition factor is that there aren't that many people on here compared to the amount of people that apply to and get into great schools. Also, not everyone on here is the same age as you are. So, not every single person posting now is going to be applying at the same time you are. </p>
<p>Let's face it, people. College is not for everyone. So even though there are people on this website who care so much about it and are going to go somewhere, there are a whole other group of people who aren't. The competition isn't as fierce as you really think it is.</p>
<p>Reiterating what others have said - How skewed everyone's perception of College through CC...</p>
<p>Tufts = failure </p>
<p>??????????????</p>
<p>What?</p>
<p>I think CC is a great source simply because it shows you what the competition is up to. The threads where people post their stats and say if they got accepted or rejected are the best.</p>
<p>Does it skew people's perceptions? Oh yeah.</p>
<p>While things area bit skewed; I can't say it's all bad.</p>
<p>My view as become totally skewed, and I am intimidated - to say the least. I've become more obsessive about college than I should be - not a good thing. Still, I try to maintain a state of normalcy and live my life. Nonetheless, CC makes me wonder "What has become of he days when high schoolers had fun and were teenagers, not adults?" Though perhaps if we were adults we would have the wisdom to understand the important things in life and that an acceptance letter from harvard is not at the top of that list. </p>
<p>Oh and BTW, worse than the Tufts bashing is the Cornell bashing. What the h ell? I don't get it. Cornell is a wonderful school and still very selective; CC belittles Cornell as if it's community college. (Shakes head in disbelief). </p>
<p>BOTTOM LINE: The snobbery on CC must stop. We should start a campaisn ;)</p>
<p>I agree - Cornell gets bashed on these forums way too much as well. Apparently, it doesn't matter if a school is extremely selective, because if it isn't HYPSM, then it doesn't matter lol ^_^ I've seen just about everything. Ah, CC skewed perceptions.</p>
<p>^Yeah, I've seen way too much school-bashing. And it's not just Cornell, Columbia is (according to some) just not on the same level as Harvard or Yale or Princeton.</p>
<p>Someone actually said "Why do you think there is no C in HYPS?"</p>
<p>The problem with people getting a skewed perception of college admissions is largely due to other students the same age (or even younger) who are usually talking out of their asses. "Your school only offers 10 APs? Well, you'd better go take more classes at a local college if you even want to be slightly competetive at Harvard!" If you just went by what CCers say on the "What Are My Chances?" thread, you would think that the number of APs you take and your SAT grades are the only thing that matters. ("Ohmigod, a 760 in CR. I'm a FAILURE!!!!)</p>
<p>...and the vicious arguments over W&M versus UVA versus W&L (1000's of posts over that one...), along with people who constantly question schools like Rice, Georgetown, Tufts, Northwestern, etc. etc b/c they aren't Ivies. </p>
<p>And did I mention the vicious arguments over W&M versus UVA versus W&L? lol ^_^</p>
<p>And, the Columbia bashing as well. I've seen examples of that.</p>