<p>I have gotten excellent advice in many areas, primarily college searches and parenting issues. I have to say the biggest "save" came from posters re my 13 year old son's ADD. So much wisdom on that thread!! Special thanks to jym626 and a few others, some professionals in this field, who PMd me even more detailed help. These valuable suggestions resulted in our catching a significant (correctable) visual defect that impacts both my son's attentiveness & academic performance that we might have overlooked if we just assumed the whole enchilada was ADD.</p>
<p>SBmom, your post reminds me of a friend who was about to be put in special ed classes, but the parents battled with the school and continued to consult with all sorts of specialists to figure out what was happening. Turns out, one doctor had just been to a conference on eye disorders of some sort (a coordination thing, I think, but I have no idea what it's called), and recognized the problem almost immediately. Special lenses and eye excercises, a couple catch up years in school, and eventually very very successful in the medical field. Fortunately, as in your case, there was a happy ending. </p>
<p>Makes me wonder how many kids have this sort of thing, and it's never caught. How awful for a child! I'm really glad to hear that your son was saved (by CC) and I wonder what field he will be very very successful in ?!</p>
<p>I have no CC success story, yet. More often than not I read posts here and feel lucky that things worked out despite all that we didn't know in the process.</p>
<p>I think CC is a place where kids who r nervous (like me) about where they' ll get in, come, to be insulted by " superior" kids, and have their dreams stepped on. But people like me deep down want someone to say " your in", i guess CC helps ease the anxiety, but most of the results r negative.</p>
<p>Eibrahim, don't let ANYBODY step on your dreams! I think if I were on here as a seventeen/eighteen year old, it would make me nervous at times, too. The whole college process can be sort of scary and unnerving but it can also be an adventure, so try to look at it that way. Step away from the computer if it gets too intense around here! </p>
<p>The most important thing you can do regarding colleges is find at least several schools you really like, at least one of which you know you can get into. There are so many good schools out there. Even if you have a favorite, there are lots that you can be happy at. Just keep faith in yourself and don't get discouraged. Wherever you go, work hard, meet lots of great people, and even if you have missteps, keep aiming for your dreams. There are surely lots of ways to reach them! Chin up, good luck!</p>
<p>Oh dear, I have seriously diverted this thread. Can someone please answer SBmom's post and get it back on track?</p>
<p>OK, Cricket, I'll try to answer SBmom's question...!</p>
<p>I'm not sure if I'd use the phrase "saved my neck", but the folks here on CC certainly did give me some peace of mind. For two months before Christmas, my daughter was going through a lot of doctor visits and medical tests as we attempted to discover "what was wrong with her." At one point, it appeared the diagnois might be lupus, and I posted a question as to how this or any chronic disease might impact our college search. While I don't "always depend on the kindness of strangers", I was touched by the outpouring of thoughtful suggestions and expressions of genuine concern. I even received a PM from one of CCs Super Moderators, who happens to be a rheumatologist, with his perspective as both a professional and someone who is aware of the college search process. All of this went a long way in keeping me grounded and calm for my daughter. </p>
<p>By the way, for those who were so helpful before, my daughter had surgery in December, and based on the pathology results from the surgery, her doctor was able to determine that she has rheumatoid arthritis. Not great news, of course, but far less unsettling than some of the alternatives. Her doctor is confident she will be brought into remission, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I remain grateful to you all...</p>
<p>Mezzomom,
Thank you for posting the update. Warm wishes to you and to your daughter. It is good that she has gotten a diagnosis, and I hope that her treatment goes well.</p>
<p>SBmom, I am waiting to see the end of the journey or at least a little rest stop along the way. But this place and all the posters have taught me so much. Mezzomom, My son has had mris ,blood tests, bone scans (you name it) between IB extended essay and music audition tapes. When I got my SAR (it sounds like a disease in and of itself) back a few days ago I have been in twice the spin as usual. Knowing that you & your daughter are out there and probably lots of folks just like you makes me feel like maybe it isn't so unsual.</p>
<p>A public thank you, SBmom, for your kind words, and I am so glad things worked out as they did. It is nice to hear the positive experiences. When threads take a turn for the worse, with strong opinions being thrown about in not always the kindest ways, it is nich to be reminded that there are equally positive experiences, helpful opinions and suggestions, and tons of knowledge and resources available here.</p>
<p>I can't really say that CC has saved my S, but at least one poster--Momof2inca--has been a great comfort to me when I was so distressed over his being deferred by his top 2 choices, even when her own child was admittted EA. (Others are supportive, too!) So it's been to my benefit rather than his. He's the accepting sort who will be happy regardless of where he ends up. And he may yet get to one of those two top choices.</p>
<p>I don't really look for support or comfort on C.C., or friends. I'm very wary of the internet. But I have gained information here and some decisions were made which we felt comfortable making as a result of participation on C.C. A good life can be had with a good attitude!</p>
<p>Look at the number of posts compared to the number of reads on all these threads.</p>
<p>You are part of the silent majority!!</p>
<p>I have even heard that some kids inflate their scores and accomplishments to dissuade other kids from trying for certain schools... I don't know about that, but some of those EC lists I see posted are simply impossible to sustain unless the only participation in each is attending one meeting...</p>
<p>On the "chances" threads some kids seem to have an unrealistic list of super reach schools (schools that are a reach even for a 4.0/1600/800/800/800, because these schools do turn away "perfection"...) If a kid says "no way" to your chances, it doesn't mean don't reach for the stars, it means add realistic schools to your list. I hope you've done that.</p>
<p>My D added a few schools whose median SATs were about 100 points lower than hers, who took many kids whose class rank was 10% pts lower than hers, etc. I am so glad she did. She has 3 good safety acceptances now. I would not have known so much about these particualr schools without CC.</p>
<p>In fact, this has been a case of CC saved MY neck; way less stress in our house!</p>
<p>Good Luck E, and let us know how things come out.</p>
<p>I think CC may be saving my relationship with my son! I can obsess over this whole process and its intricacies without torturing him. He isn't nearly as "into it"as I am,although he thinks he is just going to breeze into a highly selective school. I can do my research and gently suggest strategies to him without seeming like a controlling mom. Fortunately, he is away at school and sheltered from me.</p>
<p>I'd been lurking on CC for quite a while last December, when my daughter was deferred EA from Yale. She was devastated, especially since lots of people (not her parents) had been telling her she'd "definitely" get in. She felt too humiliated to face anyone, until she finally read on CC about all the other amazing kids who'd been deferred or denied. I don't like to be over-dramatic, but I don't quite know what we would have done without CC to show her what good company she was in.</p>
<p>Editrix, one of the things where CC definitely helped us was in giving a sense of just what the competition was and what the acceptance/rejection pattern was for the previous year. If I were to compile a list of suggestions for junior year parents & students, one o them would be: "Don't gauge your chances on how strong a candidate you are. Look at the strengths of the other applicants." D's rejection from Yale EA stung--not even a deferral--but it wasn't a complete shock.</p>
<p>Thanks every1 and i' ll keep u updated. my dads really good at predicting admissions (told my bro he'd get into uva, even tho his grades werent too hot, but got in!). He's confident i' ll get into one of my reaches ( as crazy as it sounds). Thanks for the support, and GL to all of u/sons/daughters.</p>
<p>Ctymomteacher -- thanks! I think about you and your son all the time and have my fingers double and triple crossed that Chicago (and MIT, right?) comes through reg. decision! </p>
<p>Thedad, I think you nailed it. Before CC, we had no clue about the competition and figured all the 1500-1600 SAT kids and vals were in wherever they wanted to go. Seeing the regular decisions roll out last year on CC put the process into a national perspective that would have been simply impossible to get elsewhere. I'm really torn as to whether CC has helped us more with the macro-view or the micro... because it can get really specific here and that's an incredible value, too.</p>
<p>I learned many things on CC including that:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>the curve on SAT2 Math IIc is better than Ic - at the last minute S took both and did better on Math IIc :)</p></li>
<li><p>merit money offers had been mailed from a top choice school so I knew to be nervous :(</p></li>
<li><p>admissions decisions were available online even though the school hadn't told us they would be :)</p></li>
<li><p>we didn't miss any schools that S should have applied to, as well as quite a lot about the schools he did :)</p></li>
<li><p>we should file the fafsa and profile even if we only think we'll qualify for merit money as some schools require it anyway :(</p></li>
<li><p>we should verify that the schools had received everything even if we had nice little return reciepts in our hands - as a result, a lost app was found in time :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I have thoroughly enjoyed the humor, wisdom, advice, and debates but think that frequent visits here actually raises my stress level. I am glad we are on the downside of the admissions mountain, with acceptances and a little merit money in hand. Whew! And thanks!</p>
<p>You need to apply to rolling admissions schools early to get the best chance of getting in, esp. competitive ones like UM. Getting that acceptance in the fall was real peace of mind</p>
<p>Secondly, and most importantly, the idea of the focused, " bulleted" application, in which everything works together to give a clear picture of the student, so that they adcoms could use an adjective/noun nickname in refering to him, eg " the trombone-playing astronomer" coulda been my S. </p>
<p>I think I got this from "InterestedDAd". Thanks, I D.</p>