@CCadmin_Sorin , please refer posts #849 and #852 to the PTB. That demographic is the one CC needs. Other young people have posted on this thread saying they don’t get it.
This morning I tried to click on all bookmarks to get back to some UCLA threads. That option wasn’t showing up on my iPhone. Ugh this is pretty difficult. @CCadmin_Sorin Is it true that the people who run this site won’t listen to their heavy users? Cause much of the traffic comes from lurkers reading the posts of others. And like I mentioned a few pages ago. Based on badges less than 1,000 have 1,000+ comments. Meaning all that valuable info that’s shared is very heavily concentrated in a few people who arguably, might leave soon. Please fix before this is unrecoverable. I don’t mean to come off harsh but this redesign is really that bad. This is almost as hard to use and understand as electrical engineering now.
“For as long as I’ve been here, one was never directed to the last post in a thread.”
True. But it was easy to click on the last post because the page numbers were displayed along with the post title. So in one click I could go to the last post. Now it takes me two clicks because first I click the title and then I have to click the last page number. the humanity! 
But seriously, it’s harder for me to click through the site quickly to read what I want. It’s become more of a chore.
I will say that on my laptop, I’m feeling like the changes are semi- OK.
I still think it’s a pain to get to the forums and subforums and it’s definitely not intuitive for a new person.
I agree with @austinmshauri that the emphasis is on the blogs/articles just by virtue of the format, and not the forum discussions.
It’s totally unusual on mobile.
The posts take up way too much space, so you can’t see the context of the whole thread. Way too much white space. And the list of all the threads seems to have disappeared.
Ugh, this is so disappointing. I have a daughter looking to unexpectedly transfer for fall and a son who’s entering senior year. None of my latest posts have any answers because no one is here anymore. Also, WHERE is a complete list of forums? I’ve been looking everywhere, but only a few show up on the right side. I’m having to google to find them. It’s ridiculous.
As a newcomer to this site it has incredibly helpful and informative for me (wish I had discovered it sooner) and I’ve learned so many interesting things about a myriad of topics from incredibly diverse and brilliant people. Such a shame it might be lost because of this redesign.
INHO thus is a ripe opportunity for a CC 2.0 on another site. Hoping an entrepreneurial programmer/CSer will take advantage…kinda like Zuckerburg when Facebook replaced My Space ?
Another thought. I am trying to use the recent posts thread as a new way to approach CC. Scroll through the posts to see if a kid needs help or an interesting topic.
Read through or make a suggestion. Hit the back key on the bottom left corner of the smartphone. Go back and scroll the list.
If I really like it I add it to my bookmarks. I can always jump to my favorites at any time.
It may stop some of the endless debates a bit sooner. And the hot threads like the admissions scandal etc will show up at the top of recents and can stay connected to the thread that way too.
It’s actually getting me connected to new threads from kids with schools and questions I never would have looked at before. Perhaps broadening our ability to help. Less Harvard vs Yale and more should I spend 10k for Lowell vs Boston public options. In the past these threads were lucky to get an answer.
There’s one pro counselor blog that, just lately, has agreed with 90% of my opinion and experience. But that 10% kills it, I won’t link (and it would be starred out, anyway.)
CC was never a one way info flow to me and many others. It was a discussion, a conversation, especially when a thread starter is confused. Eg, fin aid. Ask and a set of highly knowledge posters offers ideas, but more importantly, asks questions to clarify. A conversation.
It’s a mistake to think these valuable interactions are less important than the one-way flow. It’s more customized to a questioner’s needs. The general stuff? It’s everywhere.
And it’s because of the conversational aspects, related to admissions, FA, internships, visits and more, that we need to recognize the needs of experienced posters.
(I dont mean parent cafe, which gets silly.)
It’s also why we NEED more than just the most recent post in a thread. That’s like walking out of a movie for 10 minutes and missing that action.
As for all these workarounds, the point isn’t to say one can now take 4 steps and get to where they formerly could get in 2.
And frankly, while the tip sharing on this thread is great to see, it comes from a strong base of confusion. Thats sad.
We shouldn’t be left with no instructions, no hints, from the folks who foisted this on us.
“Another thought. I am trying to use the recent posts thread as a new way to approach CC. Scroll through the posts to see if a kid needs help or an interesting topic”
I’ve always used “Latest Posts”, pre-update and currently, as the way I view CC and scan threads and posts. I rarely use the list of forums unless I’m looking for something specific. For a long-term user like me, that works well but wouldn’t be super useful for someone new looking for info and advice.
As of today, I’ve been able to find the Parent Cafe without getting lost first. That’s a major improvement for me.
As others have noted, finding & navigating the forums is much less user-friendly.
I’m not sure a newbie would even know to dig & find them.
Worst part? Loss of efficiency. Quick check-in’s on threads or forums one is interested in. And, eye strain.
I started a thread and turn on notifications. I’ve come back several times on my phone thinking there weren’t any new posts because there is no notification things on the mobile front page. I just want to be able to quickly see on the front page whether or not I have notifications. That was a feature that apparently was lost.
Notifications are working fine on a laptop. It must just be a glitch (like a lot of things with the new changes) on smartphones.
Cannot use my new 10Plus to navigate this forum. Type takes up so much space! and when I scroll it moves too fast.
Could someone explain why some of the threads on a board are shaded blue and others are white/transparent? It doesn’t seem to be the distinction between unread/read. I see the featured threads at the top. Are the blue threads “stickied?” What am I not understanding? Thanks!
Agree with pretty much everyone. Thinking much can’t be changed but small improvements may be available.
Moving the post date and time to the top of the post would be a simple and important little change.
Adding a simple list of the major forum categories on the home landing page for all / featured first and foremost / when you land on it when opening. New and experienced can navigate to the big forums and go from there.
-College search and selection.
-Admissions questions.
-Parents Forum and Cafe
-Ivy League
-Sub forums with a drop down:
Musical theatre
Engineering
Service academies
Art schools
LBGTQ issues.
- Schools by state with drop down:
List each state.
Then after these options at the top you can keep your CC promoted forums like ask the Dean etc.
Have to agree that this new layout is just flat out bad. I find it extremely offputting.
Just horrible. So much more difficult to read. And reminds me of Microsoft 365 Outlook - which I despise.
"Could someone explain why some of the threads on a board are shaded blue and others are white/transparent? "
On my device, the whitish ones are unread or have new posts I haven’t read, the darker bluish ones are ones I’ve read and are up-to-date on.