As a CC member during last year’s cycle, I have noticed a decrease in the number of prospective applicants represented within the forums this year. In addition to the decrease of student users, the threads written by parents seem more stressed and competive than ever. Has anyone else noticed this trend?
I agree. I do think some new posters were scared off when they posted on old threads and were immediately shut down.
I’m new but read through last year’s threads. I’m a parent and I’m pretty surprised at the tone of some of the posts from other supposed parents. Do they think if they rip down enough students their child will gain admittance? What value does it add to be nasty to young people?
Agreed. Sometimes it seems that some parents forget they are talking to 13-year-olds. A careless or unduly harsh comment from an adult can have a profound effect at that age. It puts me in mind of the art teacher who told my 13-year-old self that “maybe art was just not [my] ‘bag’.” (Will someone tell me if that period is in the right place?) I didn’t take art classes again until I was in my 30s.
I am new, and I am a parent. I found this forum while I was trying to help my daughter decide which schools she should apply to. I also wanted to understand the admissions process. Some comments that I read do make me cringe. I hope I myself have not been insensitive to the young people here. I am so done with unkind, smug, and self-righteous adults in my kid’s life, I surely don’t want to be one myself. @LaxPrep
I have been on and off reading for a couple of years. My husband was son here long before I was. I think applications overall are down due to the economy as well based on some information from people we know at a few schools. Further there is a lot of angst over changes in testing and an ever increasing focus on the false metric of socially responsible ECs.
I am a new parent and have been sad to see some of the things posted here which seem overly dismissive and hurtful to students who ask questions. There is no denying that this is a competitve process and there are some students and parents who may have unrealistic expectations, but there are ways to say that, provide information and advice, without makIng a student feel like a worthless person.
@Center Actually, the number of BS applications has increased exponentially. Somebody posted stats here awhile ago; they should be easy to find. As for the economy, it has been on an upward trend for several years. Anyhow, the OP made an observation about decrease of student users and increase of parent users of this forum, and that some of these parents come across as overly competitive. (I’d add, not particularly kind.) I don’t think you can blame this on the economy.
looking at the bright side, fewer applicants mean better odds of getting good news on m10. while some people are concerned on finding the right fit, others would be happy to get ONE acceptance. 
Goatmama: the global economy is quite bad right now. The common app system for private schools and colleges has made applications much easier. This factor has thus inflated the numbers of applicants to schools which results in making acceptance data look even more difficult. Did you know that just starting an application but not finishing it is included in total applications? All of these schools want as many applicants as possible for reasons that have nothing to do with finding the best candidates. As to overly competitive parents: there is a difference between not telling 14 year olds what they want to hear or giving false encouragement and being competitive. None of us or our children are competing with eachother. We are a bunch of faceless entities looking for tidbits of information or offering tidbits to others. My own children have and will get in on their own merits or lack thereof.
As I’ve said before @center some things are better left unsaid and many of your comments have been downright awful and unnecessary. That’s why I questioned whether you were actually a parent. Now that I look back, I think the students themselves have been more gracious than you. If you can’t see it within yourself to saying something supportive, just leave it alone. Or, better yet, make productive suggestions such as asking a student if they’ve considered a wider range of schools for which to apply. Your comments are all one way just like many of the streets in Boston.
I was a BS newbie parent last admissions cycle and discovered CC after applications had been submitted. DD applied only to the most selective TSAO schools as we had a great local option but wanted a more culturally diverse environment. After reading through old posts, I realized immediately that we had done a lot of things “wrong” according to CC - didn’t cast a wide net, applied to 11th grade instead of a repeat sophomore, didn’t develop a relationship with AOs. We even committed the ultimate “sin” of applying for FA. We have a HHI but had a DS applying as a college freshman at the same time and had just completed the FAFSA and CSS Profile so thought we needed to complete SSS/NAIS as well for a chance at any merit (like some colleges requested). Like I said, complete newbies right?! I was somewhat disheartened and thought DD really didn’t have much chance of admission.
Fortunately, on M10 DD had several acceptances in hand and is now absolutely loving her BS.
A lot of comments I read here just don’t correlate with our experience, so my advice to all is just to ignore the negativity and focus on your own family’s journey.
Good luck to all the applicants and parents for this cycle :x
With the growing economy and the admission process shifting towards meritocracy, I think those who once relied on connections and wealth are feeling the pressure and competition of more qualified candidates. Though this may explain the intensity of parents using CC, I remain puzzled about the cause of the noticeable decrease in student users.
To @Center 's point, many of the truly top schools that evoke the most competition do not use a common app. Also, your philosophy on praise seems very black and white. There are ways of being truthful and candid without being insulting. The users in the “chance me” threads are not just usernames, they are real students who are already hyper focused on the subtitles between an A and an A-. Being that these students are often their own biggest critics, you don’t need to be the one to break their spirit, let M10 decide their fate.
I am a parent and a new member this year; I probably started lurking a year ago. The Gladchemms, which is DC’s primary focus, is a very small niche and there are really few sources of information other than the schools themselves. We are very grateful for DC’s private school placement office, but don’t want to harangue them with every little question. CC has been a tremendous resource, and there are many very kind and generous posters.
I have not heard anywhere that applications are down for the top BS, and certainly not for the day schools with which I’m familiar, either. I continue to hear that they are up. Though the market has been very volatile in the last several weeks, I doubt that would impact demand globally or domestically. I think growing economic inequality has created more demand (education matters more than ever) and it has also created lots of affluence to back up that demand.
As far as parents seeming more stressed, it may be due to anonymity. IRL people would think you were crazy if you asked them, say … do you think you can call Fedex to find out in advance if they have a package for you on M10? On CC people actually ask, and answer, that question!
I do think this forum has a very low rate of participation (certainly compared to views it seems). I know the first time I posted, wham, someone slapped me for talking about an old article than had been discussed many times. And I had in fact read a lot before I posted, I just had not come across this particular article. After that I got better at searching.
I think it’s kind of odd because, generally, you get a new crop of newbies every application season. That is the nature of this board, n’est-ce pas? But if they post something that had already been discussed, they get “in trouble”. What in the world could possibly remain undiscussed? If you don’t allow people to post on “old” topics, then no one posts at all, you just become a static repository of old posts, and there is no way to create a community.
@Center We are by no means faceless entities, and many on this board are still children.
So yes, @LaxPrep , it does seem like there are a lot of parents here and a lot of tension!! I am relatively new to posting here and it seems to me that much of the activity on these boards reflects a general stress about the competitiveness of getting into college. The landscape has changed dramatically since most parents did this, and forums like this tend to be a good way to get information from people who have traveled this road more recently.
Most parents want the best for their kids; and I sense that many on CC feel that by playing the game as well as possible, they are doing that. Honestly, I LOATHE the idea of grooming young people to be attractive to adcoms. They should be figuring our who they are and who they want to be. But I’m not so naive as to know that without a little thought, one could easily find oneself filled with regret for not having done something that could have made a difference in outcomes. (I have a couple of those!!) Our experience was much like @TheStig2 , we did a lot wrong, and yet it all worked out fine.
But there is no reason to be nasty, or even tactless, to anyone, especially a young person seeking advice. We’ve probably all had the experience of having had something we’ve written be misinterpreted, so yes, that happens. By the same token, a poster can proof a post before sending it, so it’s a little easier to avoid the “heat of the moment” (regrettable) comments. It is really panic-provoking to see “better” candidates competing for seats at a school where your child is applying. It’s disheartening to see other people celebrating their acceptances when your news was less good. (Trust me on this one – two ED deferrals so far!)
But if we can’t support each other here, what’s the point? These are big decisions on our lives and the lives of our families. It’s helpful to get input from others.
From a moderator’s point of view, I have no problem with a person asking a question that has already been asked; things change from year to year. What I dislike is when someone resurrects an ancient thread to pose the question or hijacks the thread. While some threads are times and remain open, most are not.
Having said that, there do seem to be fewer applicants posting here this year.
But from a newbie’s POV, it does seem as though people often are called to task for wanting to discuss something already covered. My first post didn’t resurrect an old thread, but it did reference an old article. Old, but not out of date … because how many mainstream publications are really writing much at all about this little corner of the universe (i.e. elite BS). Something is out of date when it has been superseded by something new, as I see it.
People are always told to go back and read posts. That’s fine if the “forum” is meant to be a resource. But if it is meant to be a true forum, you need current members to be discussing things, “live”. Otherwise it is static and dead.
I appreciate that moderating is a thankless job, and that it benefits the board. But the question has been asked about the decline in activity, and I think the answer is what I am saying.
I think the kids, specifically, are gone because they most fervently want Chances, and all they are told is either platitudes or that Chances are worthless and they should cease and desist. I don’t necessarily disagree with that assessment, but I do think that an active and helpful Chances board (if such a thing were possible) would draw a lot of kids.
edited for a typo…
Well I just wanted to say that I have found this forum very helpful. DS has the attitude of " nothing I can do now". I on the other hand have gotten many tips and info from most everyone on the forum as to what’s next, how to navigate revisit days, etc. So, thanks to all for the helpful advice. I only hope we can give back somehow in the next cycle.
Parent:
“I am a new parent and have been sad to see some of the things posted here which seem overly dismissive and hurtful to students who ask questions. There is no denying that this is a competitve process and there are some students and parents who may have unrealistic expectations, but there are ways to say that, provide information and advice, without makIng a student feel like a worthless person.”
Parent:
“But from a newbie’s POV, it does seem as though people often are called to task for wanting to discuss something already covered. My first post didn’t resurrect an old thread, but it did reference an old article. Old, but not out of date … because how many mainstream publications are really writing much at all about this little corner of the universe (i.e. elite BS). Something is out of date when it has been superseded by something new, as I see it.”
Parent:
“People are always told to go back and read posts. That’s fine if the “forum” is meant to be a resource. But if it is meant to be a true forum, you need current members to be discussing things, “live”. Otherwise it is static and dead.”
Parent:
“But there is no reason to be nasty, or even tactless, to anyone, especially a young person seeking advice. We’ve probably all had the experience of having had something we’ve written be misinterpreted, so yes, that happens.”
Boarding School Student/Moderator:
“From a moderator’s point of view, I have no problem with a person asking a question that has already been asked; things change from year to year. What I dislike is when someone resurrects an ancient thread to pose the question or hijacks the thread. While some threads are times and remain open, most are not.”