<p>In the search and selection forum, why is it that students asking for suggestions often:</p>
<ul>
<li>Give no indication of cost constraints or state of residency.</li>
<li>List their GPAs as weighted GPAs only, as if everyone else knows how their high schools weight grades.</li>
<li>Give little or no indication of what academic and non-academic characteristics they are looking for in a college.</li>
<li>Have a proposed list of colleges which are different enough that it is hard to see why they were put together in a list.</li>
</ul>
<p>In my own peer group, it is very common for kids to have a bunch of schools they are “interested in” for one reason or another (liked the viewbook, visited once on a vacation, like the sports team, has a good brand name, etc.) There truly isn’t much rhyme or reason, apart from “I want to go to the East Coast” or “I want to go to an Ivy.” </p>
<p>Finances are almost never mentioned. I suspect this is because a) I live in a more affluent area and b) college counselors seem to really stress the idea that you should never not apply to a college because of finances. Just apply and you may be surprised by financial aid! This is, of course, terrible advice, but it stays.</p>
<p>How many students at your school end up being surprised in a bad way by financial aid and not being able to afford any of the four year colleges that they get admitted to? Or do they just take on too much debt, which becomes a problem long after they have had their last contact with the high school?</p>
<p>Many really have no idea of cost constraints or whether or not their state of residency makes a difference. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My high school ONLY gave out weighted GPAs. Many didn’t realize that. A GPA is a GPA to most people. </p>
<p>
Can’t answer that one but most of the ones I’ve seen say something along the lines of “I want to study X” or “which university is more prestigious?”</p>
<p>
Perhaps they are looking at it from a different angle than you?</p>
<p>Honestly, remember that most of these people are 15-17 year olds. How on earth do you expect them to know the answers to some of these questions given their very limited experience?</p>
<p>I’m OK with all that because there are so many parents that help naive students weed through the logic but I’m often surprised how ill informed kids really are. But most parents know the vast majority of kids end up at a college within 6 hours of home and many end up at the affordable choice. </p>
<p>Most high schoolers do not understand that financing structure that allows state universities to operate. I find it a bit funny that you expect 17 year olds to see beyond how their high school does something and try to understand that posters from say, Maine, wouldn’t be able to understand what a 4.3 UC GPA means. </p>
<p>Haha…exactly. In many cases they have heard the name on TV shows or because it is easy to remember (i.e., NYU), they are familiar with the sports teams (Duke, Michigan, Alabama, etc.), or it’s in a desirable location (UCLA, University of Miami, Tulane). When they start the process the list of possible schools is like a giant buffet and there’s no limit to how many times they can go back to fill up their plate with options. :)</p>
<p>All of these issues could be solved if there was a stickied thread about what criteria to include in a post about looking for potential colleges. I mean if concerns about the rigors of kindergarten are deemed important enough to be featured in a college admissions board, a sticky which addresses about 50% of the questions on the Search and Selection forum should be at least as valuable. </p>
<p>whenhen, UC admissions are a world unto themselves, no doubt. I wouldn’t expect anyone to know all about it, unless they had experience with it. As the proverbial poster from Maine, I know that there IS such a thing as a UC GPA, but I’ve never bothered to find out exactly which courses are involved, since my kid had no interest.</p>
<p>That is, IMHO, completely understandable. Thinking that the cost of the college makes no difference whatever is, however, magical thinking in my book.</p>
<p>I think it is a very positive thing that kids can come on here and get help, answers, and input from the parents and others on here that are willing to provide them with advice. Unfortunately, most of these kids apparently aren’t getting input from the GCs, parents, etc.</p>
<p>It does constantly amaze me though that (pure guess), 80-90% of the questions I see on the various forums about colleges, majors, acceptance rates, requirements, etc. could be answered within 10 minutes with decent Internet search skills.</p>
I wouldn’t expect anyone to know all about it, unless they had experience with it. As the proverbial poster from Maine, I know that there IS such a thing as a UC GPA, but I’ve never bothered to find out exactly which courses are involved, since my kid had no interest.</p>