<p>So, with less than a month until M10 decisions are announced (and with my younger daughter in mix this year) I wanted to make a few suggestions/requests.</p>
<p>Can we PLEASE not have a bazillion "Official" acceptance threads? Last year was a complete mess, IMO, and for those of us trying to keep track of who got in where (because believe it or not, parents like me root for their favorite student posters even when we don't have a kid who applied that cycle) it was bad enough that I just tuned out completely.</p>
<p>Additionally, try to NOT post to or even create an "Official" until March 9th. See below for two examples of years past...note how the 2011 thread gets to results on the first page, while the 2012 thread is nothing but angst until well until the third page. There are plenty of angst threads already so you know where to post that sort of thing. Results threads are for results.</p>
<p>THIS WAS GOOD:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1098902-the-official-master-list-of-2011-acceptances-p1.html">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1098902-the-official-master-list-of-2011-acceptances-p1.html</a></p>
<p>THIS WAS NOT SO GOOD:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1299461-official-list-of-2012-acceptances.html#latest">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1299461-official-list-of-2012-acceptances.html#latest</a></p>
<p>I volunteer to start the official 2014 thread on Sunday, March 9th. </p>
<p>I agree. No one else make a thread but @SevenDad</p>
<p>Thanks for volunteering, SevenDad!</p>
<p>I think you’re the perfect person to start that thread!</p>
<p>I remember I joined CC on 3/9/13 and oh I definitely remember the chaos. I also remember seeing how stressed out everyone was.</p>
<p>Great idea, @SevenDad. I hope people will post Hidden Gem Decisions on your M10 Thread. Last year we had a Hidden Gem Acceptance Thread (which was amazing!) but I think it would be wonderful if ALL decisions were posted on one thread. What do you think? </p>
<p>@PhotographerMom: I liked the consolidated list.</p>
<p>BTW, the general etiquette for updating the list was to cut the list from the latest post and add yourself/your kid in alpha order. I will say that the bold formatting was a PITA (though may be easier with new CC platform?) because it didn’t get picked up from cut/pastes and got dropped pretty fast.</p>
<p>There will be hiccups (like when two people are updating at the same time) of course, but generally it all sorts itself out by the end of the thread. IIRC, some posters went to the trouble of adding in names/results that were dropped throughout the day…</p>
<p>I just remember seeing all “Dream” schools on last year’s decision thread and the second I started the HG thread, the floodgates opened. I think a combined list will be really interesting and (hopefully) a lot of fun for everyone. 
Thanks, SevenDad!</p>
<p>I was going to make a Google spreadsheet–yay or nay?</p>
<p>@stargirl: The thing about doing it on a thread is that people get to see it in real time…</p>
<p>But, if you feel like taking the time to make an accurate spreadsheet in the weeks following, then posting a link in the thread, I’m sure people would be eternally thankful!</p>
<p>@SevenDad What should the columns be? I have one that’s just username, accepted, waitlisted, and rejected. If I tried making a column for every school it would be reallllllllllly wide. Thoughts?</p>
<p>I think just as you have it…Username, A, W, R…then in each cell you can list however many schools the person was A, W, R at. Would also be interesting (and people have done this in the past) to also manually calculate the CC admit rates at some of the more commonly discussed here.</p>
<p>I also want to take a second to again ask that everyone who’s been at all active on the forum this admission cycle report their results regardless of outcome. No pre-M10 “pledges” needed. While it may feel embarrassing (even though this is an anonymous forum) to share rejections or wait lists, accurately reporting your results allows for a more accurate picture for future applicants.</p>
<p>Yes! Otherwise it was going to be a lotttttttttttt of scrolllllllllllllllllllllllllling.</p>
<p>SevenDad, are you only doing the alphabetical list? I think it wold be helpful for next year’s applicants if someone also re-did TomTheCat’s acceptance thread. </p>
<p>Btw, can we refrain from posts like “Rejected at School X and Waitlisted at School Z. Waiting on School Y.” It’s a lot easier to do it that wait, rather than having your stats all over the place. I, for one, will not be posting until all FA info comes in.</p>
<p>I hadn’t noticed the hidden gems acceptance thread before this, and I’m wondering why those schools weren’t part of the larger thread. </p>
<p>It wasn’t deliberate- it just happened that way. I had a hunch there were kids out there who were accepted to schools other than the usual suspects. Happily, I was correct! It was a great thread: <a href=“The 2013 Hidden Gems Acceptance List - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums”>The 2013 Hidden Gems Acceptance List - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums; It was exciting and a lot fun! I love the idea of one decision thread. </p>
<p>@prepschoolhopes: I’ve always felt that the “TomTheCat” thread is sort of for after the dust of M10 settles…it requires a bit more sharing on the part of the participants. But it is helpful, and I hope someone does start a new one this year.</p>
<p>@PhotographerMom: I didn’t really follow the M10 stuff last year so had forgotten/missed the Hidden Gems Acceptance thread…just read it now — very cool and I liked the input/advice people were giving each other. I see the “Official” thread as more of just a one-stop list…with minimal commentary…so maybe you should resurrect the HG thread to allow for that great back and forth. </p>
<p>I loved the input/ advice aspect of the thread, too. I would be happy to start a 2014 Hidden Gem Acceptance thread, but I don’t want to discourage people from posting Gem results on the main decision thread. If that makes sense. I sincerely hope I’m not overthinking this… last year’s HG thread was a spontaneous reaction to dream school overload. Even my son (who was home for Spring Break) looked over my shoulder and couldn’t believe people only applied to 10 schools. He was like- Where is everybody? He’s a tour guide at a Gem and they were slammed with applicants last year. He said this year was off the charts, too. I just want to make sure everyone feels free to participate (and hopefully celebrate!). Thoughts? Play it by ear? Or just post my thread when you post yours and don’t give it another thought? </p>
<p>I will make a TomTheCat thread because those are my favorite threads to read.</p>
<p>@PhotographerMom: I say see if the main thread gets traction with the Gems crowd and then make the call. I do think a separate, dedicated Gems discussion thread post M10 makes sense.</p>
<p>@needtoboard: Go for it…just be sure to pick up TomTheCat’s instructions verbatim (and of course, give him credit). Again, I think that thread is almost a post M10 thing, when all the decisions are in (they sometimes trickle in) and people can decide if they want to put all their cards out on the table for current and future forum members.</p>