Is College Confidential Actually Beneficial on Average?

<p>CC tends to attract many kids who are at the top of their class, who do well on standardized tests, and who tend to do ECs that are above average. If one just looks at the colleges that CC students are accepted to, then one might draw the conclusion that CC is beneficial. However, how well do you think the students with the same stats are doing (With respect to grades and test scores. CC might help with competitive ECs) relative to CC members? Does CC take up way too much time or does the insight it gives us into competitive ECs help us out on average in the long run? There are many individual cases that may show this to be wrong or right (I have benefitted from SAT prep and information about SAT Subject Tests and a couple extracurriculars), but what do you think the overall effect is of spending time on College Confidential?</p>

<p>CC will not significantly “help” an already qualified student get into very selective schools. It is a place for information; A place for people who know about the application process and its financial, emotional, technical aspects to help kids going through it. In my time here I have been recommended many different universities that would fit my goals. Without this website, I would not have learned about them. I learned quite a bit in the ACT forum, as well.</p>

<p>I have mostly brushed aside the notions of doing certain ECs or only reporting certain things to gain a competitive edge, and I only Junior year actually realized how much my academic history and activities matter. I can’t really undo the lack of rigor I took on my first two years of high school, but nonetheless, I still have great options open to me - options I learned of because of the CC community.</p>

<p>It’s a huge source of information, there isn’t much like it. Many adults who went through the process themselves or did so with their own children are great primary sources. People make so many ignorant mistakes when the college application process comes around (only applying to Ivies, applying to non-affordable schools, etc.), mistakes that can be easily avoided by browsing this forum. </p>

<p>Not so much an admissions/competitive edge, but the epitome of what internet is meant for. A huge nexus of college-related information to help people get through a very important time in their life.</p>

<p>I think it depends on the user. I, personally, have received helpful, but not life-changing information on the threads I have created. The real stuff to be learned is usually the same stuff that the veterans exhort again and again, information about NPCs and EFCs, and making sure to balance your list with enough safeties and what a Common Data Set is and how to find it and how to use it, and looking at schools that I would have scoffed at before, like UAlabama and Reed (don’t you put that in a clarinet?). I’m not a first-gen college student, but my parents didn’t know ANYTHING about that, and without CC, I would still be in the dark on a lot of stuff. </p>

<p>That being said, I don’t recommend CC to too many of my friends. Why? I think that for a lot of people, especially the overachievers that CC attracts, this site can breed obsession and self-doubt. When you throw yourself into a community where the average SAT is probably a fair bit above 2000, and phrases like “your ECs are nice, but you need national and international level awards” are freely bandied about, you can start to feel very inadequate very quickly. There is actually pretty much a whole board dedicated to that, “What Are My Chances?” You must never go there, Simba. When you find people who are willing to judge you (sometimes extremely harshly) at just about any time of the day or night, obsession can come about pretty easily. I consider myself a pretty self-confident person, and when I found this site as a sophomore, I had to force myself off so I didn’t start worrying about my ECs. </p>

<p>Just my 2¢ though. Interested to see if there is any consensus. </p>

<p>CC is more of a social experiment in my mind, which is what makes it so great to me. CC alone probably pushes the standards up by a significant amount, and it’s great to be a part of this.</p>

<p>Yeah - the “What Are Your Chances” forum is inherently flawed. For one, you cannot accurately predict the chances. For 95% of schools, you will know you have a good shot if you have the sufficient ACT/SAT & GPA. The remaining 5% of schools are special, adopting holistic admissions that are often a crapshoot for even the highly qualified students. There’s no way to know for sure. Then, I often see posts of: (GPA: 3.8 I know this is bad!). It’s not bad. What makes me laugh is how people just post on these threads and respond “Chance me back!”. It’s a very ridiculous concept. The majority of the valuable information you find on CC is in the College Search & Selection and Financial Aid forums, and the occasional “top story” that you see on the front page that creates a worthy discussion.</p>

<p>I try to limit my time on CC. That said, I find several “communities” very helpful and supportive such as “parents of 2015”. I think most people on there are trying to be supportive of each child’s journey to their “fit” - academically, socially, financially. It is nice to hear about people’s visits and insights. It is also a place to ask a question and get a quick response.</p>

<p>Personally, I stay away from the places where everyone wants to be chanced or gets uber-competitive. I am so happy that the board I mentioned runs for many as another family. Thanks to all the wonderful friends there!!! ^:)^ </p>

<p>For the people who mainly post on What Are My Chances – no.
For the test prep people – Depends, but it probably helps. There’s good advice over there.
College Admissions – Yeah, can help with little questions people have
College specific forums – Yeah, can give people an idea of what the college is like and helps with any specific questions they have
College Search and Selection – Definitely helps people find colleges. There are a lot of people who post on there who don’t have any safeties in mind and people convince them the need to find a safety school. That helps them out tremendously, if they end up being rejected from their dream schools.
Others – Depends</p>

<p>Overall, I think CC is useful not because it increases students’ chances of getting into a school, but it helps them out in general with finding schools that they like that are within reach, helping them discover ways so they can go to college without breaking the bank, and other ways like helping out with different situations and questions. Sure, in some cases, it does help them boost students’ chances of getting into top colleges for stuff like test prep and essay help, but overall, I think CC is more useful just as a general college tool, not a boost your chances type of tool. Or, for example, going over to HSL is fun because it’s sort of just an off-topic forum for like-minded yet diverse students to talk about whatever (and for the parents, parents cafe). </p>

<p>I’m a parent and have found the financial aid and national merit forums very helpful. Also College Selection and individual college forums. For example, through the National Merit forum I figured out that USC is the most selective school that offers significant merit aid to NMF’s. Then once I visited the USC forum I learned lots of useful information about USC from regular posters. The SAT/AP forums were also useful in getting recommendations for prep books. I think the Chance Me threads are mostly unhelpful and some are probably downright misleading.</p>

<p>I found CC early in dd’s freshman year. I didn’t know what to make of it all, so I lurked for 7-8 months. When I finally joined, I was addicted. I think for people like me, with no college experience, it was a TREMENDOUS help. I think it helped her to be way ahead of the game in so many areas. Her GC was astounded by my knowledge of the college admissions process. There are so many nuances & if one misses them, the student can get the short end of the stick. I honestly don’t think she would have had the admissions outcomes if I hadn’t stumbled upon CC. </p>

<p>

It depends on what you are shopping for.</p>

<p>CC can be an invaluable resource. But it’s like shopping in any supermarket. There is:</p>

<ul>
<li>fresh produce (what’s new in the admissions arena)</li>
<li>super healthy food (strategies for funding & applying to colleges)</li>
<li>basic staples (guidance on which schools to consider)</li>
<li>junk food (totally worthless Chance Me! threads)</li>
<li>“guilty snacks” (Parent Cafe)</li>
</ul>

<p>Just like in a supermarket, it is helpful that CC has a dedicated aisle for junk food. It keep the rest of the supermarket aisles free of doritos & twinkies.</p>

<p>CC first helped me to navigate the waters for getting our boys into selective boarding schools. I’ve tried as much as possible to “give back” to the community in the Prep School forum. While there are many forums for college admissions, CC is the only one I am aware of for prep schools.</p>

<p>As first child is gearing up to apply this fall to college, CC continues not to disappoint. I thought I pretty much understood the college admissions process after surviving multiple rounds of boarding school admissions (it has even more hoops to jump thru than college admissions). But this forum has exposed me to so many issues about the college admissions process that I would otherwise not have known. I didn’t even know what I didn’t know…</p>

<p>I cant imagine anything being worse than the college admissions process! </p>

<p>I’ve learned a lot about financial aid and taxes, how to set up and arrange different accounts to be the most beneficial. I learned to just ask for more aid if you need it (sometimes the answer is no, but it doesn’t cost anything to ask).</p>