<p>-I learned that people complain and cry when they get a 2300 on their SAT, whereas I would be entirely satisfied with an 1800.
-I learned that even though I’m in the top 7% of my class, according to the posters on CC, there is no possible way I could ever get into any colleges I want to just because I’m not as intelligent or superior as they are with their 4.99 weighted GPAs and 17 AP classes.
-I learned that even though I am Student Government president, in Honor Society, am assistant editor for my school paper, host self-organized food drives in my neighborhood for a local food pantry, and volunteer with the Special Olympics, I don’t have NEARLY enough extracurriculars or volunteer hours.
-I learned that “chance me” threads are a way for posters to brag about how special they are. Because honestly, if you have a 4.0 GPA and a 2400 SAT score, and volunteer more hours than there are in a week, I’m pretty sure you have a good chance at getting into some schools.</p>
<p>Basically, I learned that people on here set the standard very high for themselves, and if you’re below them, they’ll treat you like a wad of gum stuck to the bottom of their shoe.</p>
<p>OP, you’re wrong. I don’t know if you meant that post as sarcasm or if you sincerely believe that, but it’s absolutely false. Going to a good (expensive) private school won’t automatically get you into a good college, of course, but admissions committees definitely consider the rigor of your school and classes when considering your grades. If you’re getting a B+, but you have a 5 on the AP and a 750+ on the SATII, that’s a hell of a lot better than getting an A+, a 3, and a 650 at an easier school.</p>
<p>I’ve learned that there are TONS of incredibly qualified students out there. It was a good level set for admission and scholarship expectations. </p>
<p>I’ve learned that there are many helpful CC veteran parents and current college students too willing to give share advise. That has helped so very much. Thanks to all!</p>
<p>I’ve gotten so much more valuable info here than I would ever get from my public-school GC. Sure, there’s some garbage on here, but CC introduced me to many amazing small LACs that weren’t on my radar before- now, I’m applying to several of them.</p>
<p>About the chance threads? Don’t read them if they bother you. While I’m never going to make one, I can understand why somebody might choose to.</p>
<p>^
This site does a better job than my high school counselor lol. CC gives me the impression that all the UC’s outside of UCB and UCLA are worthless and that the only way to be successful is if you go to a top 20 school.</p>
<p>Before CC, I looked at some of the “smart” people at my school as geniuses who would get into ivy leagues for sure. Than I realized the 'big fish, small pound" analogy. These 4-5 people in my class are in a gamble to win, and in comparison to some of the stats in the “What are my Chances”, they have almost 0 chance. After, I realized that many people just stack up on AP classes to get into colleges and do fundraisers just to make their apps look “good”.</p>
<p>-I learned from reading (and writing) many rants against USNWR rankings that Ivy-league and other prestigious schools are not all that they’re cracked up to be
-I learned that there’s always someone else out there with a better application than you
-I learned that I did manage to obtain the right amount of breadth and depth in my classes and ECs
-I learned that I obsess to much over Subject tests and APs but not enough over school and SATs
-I learned that college admissions is a lottery</p>
<p>I’ve become embarrassed and shunned by half of CC for my love of state schools. I’ve also become exceedingly hard on myself and a bigger procrastinator than ever before.</p>
<p>If this is true it’s a disgrace. I hate snobs because they’re ignorant. I can’t stand people who assume anything “private” is better than anything “public.” 90% of the private colleges and private universities in America are inferior to schools like the U of Michigan, U of Virginia, Cal-Berkeley, etc. You’d have to have your head examined to automatically think some private college in New Jersey (just to use an example) that is not named Princeton can even hold a candle to a Michigan, Virginia or Cal, or a North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Wisconsin-Madison, or even Penn State - University Park.</p>
<p>I have a kid in an LAC and one in flagship state U. I have degrees from a private university and a flagship state U. An institution isn’t automatically better or worse because of its status as private or public. You have to evaluate each institution on its merits. And that goes for the secondary school level too.</p>
<p>Before CC I was largely in the dark… I had no idea just how hardcore some students were out there in the rest of the country, and I also had no idea how numerous they were. It really inspired me to learn more about admissions and future career tracks.</p>
<p>This site has really changed my life in a variety of ways. It makes me wonder where I’d be without it. I’ve gotten so much good advice, information, help, and insight here.</p>
<p>I learned my school is full of average students(including me), and that an Ivy league is damn near impossible to get into…seriously. I also learned the same thing 1st poster learned(I had a 3.5 in sophomore year aiming for Berkeley, came to the realization that it’s garbage, got a 4.3 junior year). And also, schools don’t care how much you’ve improved unless you’re going to a local/state univ., they care how amazing you are, how great your test scores/EC’s/grades are. They also would prefer if you suffered the most horrid family conditions possible and still succeeded.</p>
<p>I agree 100%. Yes you have to weigh the advice that everyone posts. Those who have high GPA’s have a tendency to overweight their importance, same thing for standardized test scores and EC’s.</p>
<p>I see a path for my kids to follow to high achievm ent. I am thankful for the posters who have written about how they learned to get perfect/near-perfect scores on the SAT. That advice seems intuitive now, but it was mind blowing when I first read it.</p>
<p>Its great to be part of a community of high achievers and while there might be some braggers (I don’t read the chance thread) most people are very helpful (and opinionated).</p>
<p>I’m a little surprised at the bitterness that have been expressed by some on this thread. Certainly an SAT score of 1800 and 2000 is a very good score. But its GOOD to know that score will not ordnarily get you in the top 1% of colleges.</p>
<p>It’s given me motivation to try harder :D. Even though I’m doing okay in school, I want to aim really high (on my personal college ladder) so that even if I miss the very top, I’m still high up (not on USNWR’s rungs, those suck).</p>
<p>I hate the snobbery here at CC. I don’t understand what is wrong with a state university? I had the chance to go to GW but it was more than 55,000/yr. I opted to attend my in-state school at 18-20,000/yr instead, and I’m glad I did! I will be coming out with little debt, and I have the luxury of being 20 minutes away from home.</p>
<p>It also seems as though the only important thing to CCers is grades/good GPA. Never mind having fun, getting bf/gf, or attending any athletic events or making friends, all that matters is a good GPA and med/grad school. Pfftt…</p>
<p>Stats don’t matter, the type of high school that you attend does. I attended a college prepatory school, came out with 3.3, taking only two APs (got 3s on both), and a few extraccuriculars, a dismal ACT score of 22, and the top SAT score less than 1800. And I still got accepted to good schools by the mere fact that I went to one of the best high schools in the nation.</p>
<p>I don’t see the snobbery to the level that you assert. IMHO, that CCers are of one mind that its nuts to pay $50K to go to school (unless your family can afford it) and that a public university would do as well to educate students as all but perhaps 20 elite universities.</p>
<p>Oh trust me. Go through some forums and you’ll see some of that hyped up prestige and the crazy kids who would rather go into tons of debt than to go to a state university. And don’t get CCers started on community college.</p>
<p>i disagree that stats don’t matter, princessbride…rarely have i encountered a 22 and sub-1800 scorer that got into good schools. congratulations on your acceptances though!</p>
<p>Well if you don’t consider George Washington a good school…</p>
<p>Point is, I went to a prestigious all-girls high school, and that helped me get into some good universities. Stats only matter if you went to a no-name public school or were home schooled. Other than that, prep schools with a long legacies and decent grades are enough to get in.</p>
<p>Now, when I see that a school has an acceptance rate of less than 30% I cringe. No longer do I withhold the optimism that the lower the acceptance rate the better. I have learned to realize that the world of admissions is far more competitive than I could have ever realized.</p>