<p>To the OP, I too had that reaction when first coming here. It was an eye-opener. I stick mostly to the parents forum also. I have learned a lot here.</p>
<p>fineartsmajormom, I sometimes feel that way about the class of 2011 thread, because my '11 S is not a stressing-over-college type kid at all. I read that thread and think to myself that some of these parents are nuts! I have posted on the 2013 thread also, so now that you have labeled me an extreme, over the top helicopter parent, I guess I’m just as bad. We all have kids with different needs and abilities and are looking for information. I came to CC when my oldest was looking at colleges; like many, I had no idea how hard it had become to get accepted to some colleges. I figured with her UW 4.0 GPA, relevant EC’s she should get in wherever she wanted to go. That was the most important lesson I have learned from CC - the list of colleges to apply to is key. With my freshman D I now have a more realistic attitude. We wander through campuses when we travel for other reasons, just to see what they are like. As an athlete and great student, her search will be different than that of my older 2 kids. As the youngest, she is more aware of college planning and thinks about it on her own, not because I am pushing it on her.</p>
<p>thanks all for the very useful and abundant advice. some points of clarification: thankfully our S is not an xbox addict, and in fact rarely plays, though I imagine that left to his own vices, he could quickly become one. </p>
<p>"you mentioned that no one from your son’s HS has been admitted to an Ivy, but you also note that, as of now, he would like to go to UCLA.</p>
<p>Has anyone from your son’s HS been admitted to UCLA or Berkeley? Are you able to review with a GC the kind of stats and EC’s students FROM YOUR SON’S HS have had who have been admitted?"</p>
<p>Our S school this year oddly enough had 3 or 4 seniors accepted to UCLA out of a graduating class of 200 or so. I don’t know anything about these students who were accepted. </p>
<p>After the initial shock of the info I have read on the forum, I have started to relax. My S loves his school and it is the perfect environment socially and athletically for him. I would never enroll him in another school and pull him away from his friends.</p>
<p>I think it is wonderful that you are keeping him in a school where he is happy. Things will work out.</p>
<p>My kids went to a school that isn’t exactly top quality. Very small public, which limits course offerings, for instance.</p>
<p>They got into great colleges, because they made the most of the life they had in high school.</p>
<p>Selective colleges do look at whether students are taking the most rigorous courses available to them, but they are also very impressed by students who find ways to explore interests and excel despite limitations in their environment. </p>
<p>It’s good that you are feeling more relaxed, and I hope your son continues to enjoy his school life!</p>