Proposed Case Study: Is CC psyching kids out?

Parents Forum
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<p>Last January, after I took the SAT I, I was referenced to CC by a close friend as a helpful site for getting a sneak peak at what my score may look like by getting an idea of some of the answers to the questions I had trouble with on the test. Luckily, as I went through the threads, I noticed I had a lot of the same answers as most kids on tough questions, and a few weeks later, to no surprise, I was happy with my scores. But after almost 1 year of logging in to ask questions, hear my chances at top universities according to CCers, and just see what was being talked about, I've began to wonder something.</p>

<p>Is CC psyching kids out?</p>

<p>In about two weeks I'll be hearing from my dream school, Early Decision. Despite a GPA that is lingering in the lower 50% of students at this school and average SATs, I was fairly confident with my chances. I have stellar ECs, and I knew my recommendations and my essays would carry me further than most applicants (just a little self-confidence). However, as I began to post my stats and ask CCers to "Chance Me!" at my ED school and all my RD schools I started doubting myself.</p>

<p>What I have noticed is CC is a community of the BRIGHTEST kids in the country and around the world, and for that I applaud you (and maybe me? <em>-</em>). What I am noticing is that with all these "Chance" threads, kids just never seem to be able to say, "you know what, you're in". Or, "there's no reason they shouldn't take you." It's more like "Man, that 4 on your AP test is going to kill you" or, "Nothing outstanding about your ECs." Even worse, now I am seeing kids post there stats and put down themselves, saying things like, "I know I don't really have a shot, but just chance me anyway." ..when all I am thinking is.. are you KIDDING me, you've got it all!</p>

<p>I'm not sure if I am getting at anything at all, you'll be the judge, but based on what I have seen kids in CC are cream of crop applicants. Everyone should just relax and wait and see what happens come mid december and early april. We're all going places, it may not be HYP, but it'll be right for us. I am mentally prepared for a rejection/deferral for this reason. It doesn't take a 4.0UW, 2400 SAT and discovering the anecdote for immediate hangover relief to get into college. Even Harvard Magazine says, We take several hundred of the biggest and brightest, a couple hundred athletes/musicians/etc, and a couple hundred kids who just seem like they are smart (maybe a 3.5/2000 smart), down to earth kids who we are going to happy we took in a few decades.</p>

<p>What's everything think? After the AP tests, my school gives seniors the option of taking a 1.5 month-long internship, crafted themselves, instead of going to school. I may do a full fledged research paper on CC and the effects on those who use it.</p>

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<p>That would be so cool. Do it! Lol. I also think CC can at times be more destructive than helpful. You may want to look into why it’s so addicting too.</p>

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<p>And yes, I realize that it seems foolish to write “you know what, you’re in” because it’s such a crapshoot at some top schools, but if the kid is qualified, or even over qualified, why not give him that peace of mind that at least he’ll be in the lottery and not thrown to the side :D</p>

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<p>You are probably on to something here…</p>

<p>Now will you fill your research paper with <em>anecdotes</em>, or <em>antidotes</em>? ;)</p>

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<p>And kudos to your school for allowing an internship instead of filling the time after AP exams with busywork!</p>

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<p>This is exactly why I have not pointed my son to CC, do not talk about it in his presence, and hope like crazy he manages to avoid the place until after May 1 (I’m pretty sure he hasn’t found it yet).</p>

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<p>I’m pretty glad I didn’t find CC until after I got accepted to my school. With the way people reacted to my stats (which were well within range of the average admitted student) I might have been less likely to apply.</p>

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<p>^^I’m the opposite. I’m glad that I found CC before D1 applied. Prior to CC, I was one of those naive parents who were convinced that her qualifications were so strong that she could get in anywhere and everywhere she cared to apply. </p>

<p>CC opened my eyes to the fact that it was not going to be that easy. On CC I saw that many kids with similar sterling qualifications don’t make it into the very top schools. And sure enough she was rejected by her EA school. She got into many fine schools in RD, but I was not nearly so shocked by the EA result as I would have been without reading CC first. It’s good to know where you really stand.</p>

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<p>I think it is definitely a good place for some parents to be, but the OP asked if it psychs kids out-- as a 17-19 year old I would have been shell shocked by this website rather than seeing it as a need to broaden my horizons, I was so impressionable and insecure then I think I would have had a hard time not taking it personally.</p>

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<p>Before I found this site, I have been feeling alone and without valid info. Now, I have a better understanding of where my kid stands and can help him better prepare for univ application. I am only glad CC is here. Harsh comments on others and selves are made, I believe, because overachievers - many CCers - tend to be anxious type.</p>

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<p>This is fallacious assumption #1. Honestly, it’s like saying America is a community of the brightest minds in the world. The country has many such minds, true, but there are far too many living elsewhere to make this characterization. For example, out of the 30+ HYP people from my school in the last five years, I am the only one on CC. </p>

<p>Which brings me to self-selection bias. The students who will make up your sample are self-selecting by coming on CC. I think that the argument that CC frequenters are more prone to neurosis than the rest of the high-achieving population would at least be worth considering. If the conclusion is that this is indeed the case, then you have a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy – it may be that non-CC sources of college stress exist, and CC posts are simply a manifestation of these fears that are already present and not induced by this forum.</p>

<p>I would also wonder how you would quantify these measures.</p>

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<p>I don’t know why anyone would do any chance thread. You have kids chancing each other - you chance me and I’ll chance you. Well, if you could chance me, why don’t you just chance yourself.</p>

<p>What’s informative are those result threads.</p>

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<p>I agree with Baelor. This is a subset of the brightest kids in the country. Not all of the brightest kids in the country are obsessed with getting into HYP et al. There are many, many extremely bright kids who are happy to go to a good state flagship and do great things there.</p>

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<p>“Which brings me to self-selection bias. The students who will make up your sample are self-selecting by coming on CC. I think that the argument that CC frequenters are more prone to neurosis than the rest of the high-achieving population would at least be worth considering. If the conclusion is that this is indeed the case, then you have a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy – it may be that non-CC sources of college stress exist, and CC posts are simply a manifestation of these fears that are already present and not induced by this forum.”</p>

<p>Ha, I didn’t even think of that. I bet that’s valid.</p>

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<p>i argree with baelor and coureur: but isn’t the elite and competitive nature of most cc students and parents the nature of what makes the US high performing? aka radical competition?</p>

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<p>I’d just point out that some of the students who post their stats and list EC’s, accomplishments, etc… are padding their online resumes somewhat. No harm in an anonymous online setting, but it can give a distorted view to someone who assumes that the posted stats in chances threads are representative of the applicant pool as a whole.</p>

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<p>I think a lot of the kids on here may be “high performing” in the sense of having great scores / grades, but true “high performance” in the real world involves many other qualities, including getting along with people, emotional maturity and creativity, and I don’t think those are necessarily demonstrated by some of the young adults on here (the kind who sweat the distinctions between H, Y and P, the kind who insult other schools gratutiously).</p>

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<p>Haha oldfort, I’ve wondered that myself. Why do high-schoolers believe that other high-schoolers have any special knowledge about chances? I especially love “I’ll chance you back.”</p>

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<p>I don’t think “Chances” have anything near as much to do with chances as with getting some attention and sparking some conversation. As a source of reliable information, they tend to be next to useless. As an icebreaker, they’re OK.</p>

<p>Anyway, I learned about CC from my kids, but neither one of them ever looked at it much. My daughter pronounced it “evil” and nothing but a source of anxiety and self-doubt. It’s easy to see her point. </p>

<p>I found it useful for the reasons given by coureur – it made me much more realistic about what my kids were facing, and helped me understand in real terms what a sub-10% admission rate meant for kids who were really strong students. In that sense, it psyched me up rather than psyching me out: I saw all these fabulous kids who WEREN’T going to Harvard, etc., so I knew my kids didn’t need a HYPS acceptance to have great peers in the classroom and socially. I have also learned a ton about the opportunities available at public colleges, and also about financial aid and its pitfalls. There really is a lot of great information here, but you have to know how to pick and choose.</p>

<p>So . . . great for parents, but I don’t ever encourage kids to use it.</p>

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<p>Agree with JHS. My kids don’t want to read this at all and that is just fine. I cannot stand the “chances” threads and try to avoid them. They are cropping up everywhere these days (and not just in the “chances” threads.) The chances threads are not healthy, IMHO. I have found great advice and tips as a parent, some amazing posters that I admire as well as a wonderful college or two that I was not aware of. And yes, I tend to agree with Calmom that many of the “kid” posts are not believable and if accurate do give abit of a distorted view of what really happens in the long run.</p>