<p>All,</p>
<p>Just wanted to say how impressed I am with the vast knowledge on CC. I've been lurking for months but haven't posted, as I don't have a whole lot to add on most of these posts. As the parent of a HS sophomore (and a seventh-grader) I'm just starting this journey. I hope to become more engaged and get to know y'all better (yes, I'm from the South).</p>
<p>Welcome! CC has been very helpful to me--mostly as a way to manage anxiety. I hope you enjoy the search as much as I did--and don't stress out as badly as I did on the applications and the wait for acceptances. My son did beautifully and I could have saved myself months of discomfort.</p>
<p>bethievt,
I also gave myself lots of discomfort I didn't need...<br>
youdon'tsay, it is a good way to get information and to manage anxiety. It also helps me to feel connected to other adults who are in the same situations I am in with my children. There are lots of families in our local area at the same stage, obviously, but in a small town there can be competition, jealousy issues, and the ever present rumor mill. CC allows me to feel somewhat connected without the social pressure.
I'm not sure I said that eloquently enough to make sense. If I didn't some other ccer help me out please....</p>
<p>ebeeeee-- you said it just fine! I truly have loved my time on CC, and continue to enjoy it. It was a great comfort and support during The Process, when it truly was more about my daughter than about me. But I had, and I continue to have, concerns, as she did, and I didn't want to divert her much needed attention to myself! CC is and was educational, inspirational, and I am grateful for these forums. I am now happy to be able to help others through the gauntlet, as others helped me last year.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC Youdon'tsay! </p>
<p>You will find some amazing people here who go out of their way to help you in any way they can. I "joined" about a year ago (what did I do in my spare time before then?), and even though my oldest is also just a Sophomore in HS, I have learned so much about all kinds of things (some college related, some not).</p>
<p>I agree 100% with the posters above!</p>
<p>CC is amazing. I've said it before, but please allow me to say it again. It's wonderful how the posters on here generously offer advice, support and encouragement to total strangers, and not just on issues concerning college admissions, but on just about everything! Such caring people here. There are always differences in opinions, which is to be expected, but ultimately, we all love our children (and sometimes husbands? :D) and want the best for them.</p>
<p>You're so fortunate to have fallen into this lovely pothole before any of your kids enter or apply for college. I keep seeing things and say, "dang, I wish I had known that in time for #1..." although admittedly they all came out fine. Still, it would have been nicer to be able to funnel shortcuts and efficiencies to my kids on how to study for SAT's, how to construct a list of colleges, set up a tour route for college visits (or decide it's not necessary to visit each and every school to mail off an app, and other radical CC discussions). You spend less time "inventing wheels." The published books also help, I found.</p>
<p>CC also helped advise me how to recover when I did some dumb things, like put insufficient postage on return envelopes! I agree that CC lets you dodge the hometown rumor mill, so you can ask away without harm to your kid.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC, Youdon'tsay! As your kids get into the college search "thing", and then really get into the process, you'll find a lot of good stuff here. And we're NEVER shy about giving our opinions!!! This site can be intimidating, especially when you see all the "chances" threads; keep in mind that it's self-selected, and the people who are here are more interested and/or involved in their kids' college plans than most parents are. For the most part, the kids on here are also not representative of the "average" student. There have been posts in the past about how people came to know about CC. Many people (myself included) found it via googling PSAT scores to find out what the cut-offs for National Merit consideration.....</p>
<p>So, enjoy yourself, avoid the really emotional threads where people can get really snarky (avoid religion, abortion, Michael Vick, and bad roommate threads!!) There's several of us here from the South---grab yourself a sweet tea and enjoy!!!</p>
<p>But astrophysicsmom, some of the really emotional threads can be sooo much fun! ;)</p>
<p>Welcome aboard! I've been around here for about a year and a half and I still learn new stuff constantly. The people here are wonderful, and I see you've already heard from some of my favorites! :)</p>
<p>Welcome to CC! </p>
<p>I'm a student, but I frequently give advice on here (including advice on parenting!). Definitely feel free to discard. :)</p>
<p>I strongly second the comments of astrophysicsmom. I learned about CC in September of my sons' senior year. While I picked up some very useful information on the admissions process and later on reagrding the move-in process as well as the emotions of becoming "empty nesters", I found many of the credentials posted on the chances threads to be intimidating -- I never shared this information with my sons out of concern that they would curl into a fetal position and not emerge until April. </p>
<p>So, welcome to CC! Pay heed to astrophysicsmom's advice and enjoy the journey!.</p>
<p>youdontsay
Hey (yeah I'm from the south too), glad to have you on CC. You will learn so much here from a lot of nice people. It doesn't matter if your kid is a Brainiac or an Average Joe (I have one of each), there will be great info. here that can help you out.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC, YDS. Imo, as a parent of a sophomore it's not too early to be scouting out the college process, some of the criteria of different schools, etc. It's daunting when your S or D is a senior with a four-year class record of X and you find that some colleges prefer Y.</p>
<p>The caveats you've received about this place being a bit intimidating and not representative of the typical student (or parent!) are dead on. However, should you have a student who is looking at very competitive colleges, CC becomes an especially good place for advice. But personally I avoid "Chances" threads as if they were plague.</p>
<p>Wow. I was just looking at the number of posts for some of you. Pretty impressive. I joined in Feb. 2006? Oh. And I have less than 40 postings. I better get busy here!</p>
<p>Welcome YDSay,
My husband found this site when son was HS junior. I can't say enough about how helpful everyone was during his college search. Son is now college freshman and I still check site several times a week. I guess I am addicted. Have passed site on to several friends and family who are beginning "The Process". As they say, there isn't any such thing as a stupid question, but it is so much easier to ask people who won't run into at the grocery store! I will say though, be careful, it is addicting!!</p>
<p>Welcome. You will find that we are a community of many well-meaning folks and a couple of crotchety old b<em>st</em>rds. ;) </p>
<p>While you are chuggin down the knowledge remember to enjoy this time with your child. I wouldn't trade it for anything. They will grow as individuals more rapidly than you can ever imagine. Two blinks and they are unrecognizable. Two more and you are waving bye. Don't miss it.</p>
<p>As to CC being addicting: Pshaw! Heck , it's easy to quit . I've done it dozens of times.</p>
<p>Clueless,
I joined after S applied. his applications went in Dec 31. His major essay was about death of grandparents, a "no no". Some colleges where he would have been a good fit we didn't know about, and a few he applied to were not a fit. He was lucky. Four years later, I'm still an addict. The information I've gained has been passed onto MANY others. I'm still more a listener; hence, not many posts in 4 years.</p>
<p>I get hooked on the personality of many of the kids and the posters.I enjoy hearing how they adjust to college life, and anticipate the next stage of their lives. The cafe is wonderful entertainment and education.</p>
<p>Thanks, all, for the warm welcome.</p>
<p>I'm always thinking ahead, which is why I've been reading for months -- I like to obsess on the front end so I can appear calm and collected during crunch time. : )</p>
<p>A friend turned me on to the site. But she's moved on, and I'm still here. I'm chair of the parent group at my 15yo's school, and I've been lurking to get ideas for programming. We did a survey and found that the no. 1 thing parents want info about is "college." Not sure exactly what parents mean by that (especially because my oldest is only a sophomore), so I've been reading here to get ideas. In fact, I might start another thread to specifically ask for that kind of help -- ya know, what do you wished you'd known and when do you wish you'd known it. Already, CC has inspired me: I think it would be really helpful to have some kind of parent roundtable where first-time parents can ask questions of those who've been there, done that. I convened a lunch with some experienced parents and learned so much, especially from the stories of kids who got in at their first choice school and those who didn't, how colleges build a class and how you might have higher scores than someone else but the other kid gets in. And yet, somehow everyone's kid is happy where they landed.</p>
<p>I concur that some of these stories and posts are downright intimidating. And sometimes, uh, comical. But just so you know, I have no illusions that my son will go to HPYM or even a desire that he go to an Ivy. Though as a URM (I've been learnign the lingo!) from Texas, maybe his chances would be better than others. Right now, he's looking at Rice or UT-Austin, though I'd like for him to consider spreading his wings a bit.</p>
<p>My son's high school did recruit veteran parents to present to newbie parents about the process--it was very helpful. I now know so much about my son's niche--quirky LACs--that it seems wasteful not to share it.</p>
<p>I will also say that CC helped me spare my child from a lot of my anxiety. Whenever I had a lurching sense of doubt, fear, whatever, I could come here and leave him out of it.</p>