<p>But what benefit does one really get out of chance threads? You are posting your life on CC, simply for others to scrutinize your profile.</p>
<p>Most of those people "chancing" you are applicants themselves. I don't seem to understand what enlightening information someone can truly provide if they themselves are in the same situation as you.</p>
<p>Even more, the only opinions that matter are those of the adcoms. </p>
<p>4 people on CC telling you you're in for sure isn't going to get you accepted. On the same token, 7 people telling you you're not going to get in does not mean you will get rejected.</p>
<p>It's only going to make you more anxious.</p>
<p>Now, I will concede that maybe these chance threads can give an applicant peace of mind. However, I find that mentality pretty na</p>
<p>While chancing is not really useful at all for actually determining where you will and won’t get in, it’s still fun and obviously very popular around here. It’s also nice if someone wants to compare themselves to other people in the applicant pool.</p>
<p>It’s like reality TV: most people wouldn’t admit it…but they enjoy it. I know I do from time to time (:</p>
I really do agree with you. I find chancing people quite interesting but I wouldn’t ask to be chanced at all. I always ask the people I chance to post their actual results so I can determine whether I’m right eventually.</p>
<p>It’s fun and sometimes people end up with useful suggestions about where else to apply. </p>
<p>Plus, it’s near impossible to chance yourself based on grades and scores alone when you’re applying to top tier schools because extracurriculars play such a huge role. And even though other applicants are the ones chancing you (for the most part), it’s much easier to chance other people than to chance yourself, because there’s always some bias either way when you’re looking at your own profile.</p>
doesn’t do anything to the actual admissions process
it can deflate your ego</p>
<p>I do like it because:
it can inflate your ego
there are others giving less biased answers (than your close friends/mother would)
gives you a good dose of reality.</p>
<p>I’m going to explain that last point a little. Too often, there are B and 1800 students at my school, who slack off in class and do no ECs, that brag about going to Harvard. There are also many students who assume a 4.0, no commitment to two clubs, and nothing else will get them into Yale. Some kids need to realize wasting when they’re going to waste 50+ on an application.</p>
<p>But hey, remember: trolls love this thread, too.</p>
<p>Why do people stop to watch house fires?
Why does highway traffic grind to a halt because someone is changing a flat tire?
Why does anyone waste a moment of time watching anything involving a Kardashian?</p>
<p>I just find that the detriments outweigh the benefits.
All too often I feel like I’m reading posts of kids justifying themselves to the readers. I agree with all of these answers, yet I still find them to be a tad superficial (for obvious reasons).</p>
<p>The only value I can ever see in chance threads comes before a student applies. There are a handful of postings from students who are truly clueless about where they stand in the academic food chain. Occasionally there will be the sincere applicant who woefully over-/under- reaches with their list. Those people deserve a little help. </p>
<p>Obviously chance threads have no effect on admissions outcomes. If some anonymous poster goes to an open internet forum looking for solace from equally anonymous (and uninformed) posters they need to be reminded of the old adage that states: “free advice is worth twice what you pay for it”.</p>