<p>I wasn't sure whether I should post on the Things Prospies Should Consider or separately, but here it is.</p>
<p>I've been reading several forums for about a year and until recently I didn't realize that on many college forums there are a few posters who post repeatedly. On some forums these posters are students, sometimes they are parents, sometimes they are people paid by the colleges to answer questions, and sometimes the posters fit into more than one category. (I think the posters on this forum are parents.) These posters do a great job giving out information about whatever school they are writing about.</p>
<p>However, a problem can occur when READERS of the college forums don't notice that the same few posters are posting repeatedly. There is a huge difference between 20 posts by one poster (who generally have one general point of view about a school) and 20 posts by 20 different posters -- the difference between one person sharing his or her opinion at length and 20 people giving 20 points of view.</p>
<p>I don't write this to criticise the repeated posters, I think they are great to give up their time. But, on the other hand, it's useful to notice whether you are getting information from one or two people or from many people.</p>
<p>and to recognize that unless one does a thorough search of past history of posters and the thread topics, to realize that you are getting a snapshot of who happens to be posting at that particular moment in time. There are some of us who have stayed on CC long after our own particular search for information was over. </p>
<p>If someone really wants to get a sense of where a poster is coming from, then by all means click on their name and search their history. You will find parents, current students, alumni, and posters with no connection to the school simply weighing in. Those with official ties to the school generally say that (and I think that CC has rules about that.)</p>
<p>What’s difficult to know if someone just posts occasionally is how their experience with that school or that particular issue plays out over time. </p>
<p>In terms of frequent posters, it’s very obvious that bethievt, M’s Mom and I are the most frequent contributors. You can read through and see if we are just rah rah cheerleaders or if we try hard to give an opinion or provide information that is rooted in our own specific experience and knowledge of the school. </p>
<p>I make no secret of the fact that my son is very happy he chose Grinnell and that it has impressed me as well. When I am concerned about an issue someone raises here, I try to figure out where the “truth” lies, because the reality is: we all are getting the perspective of whoever posts. This has meant I’ve called the school to get information, I’ve asked my son what he thinks, or I put in my two cents as an adult with a different perspective on how things might be viewed.</p>
<p>I have never said that every decision made on campus is the correct one, but I do try to understand the circumstances that may surround these events.</p>
<p>Yes, I certainly am a frequent poster and am the parent of a senior. My impressions are based on 4 years of visits to the school, reading about it and hearing about it from my son and his friends, who are all loving the school, but certainly critical of some things too. Of course, not every student loves it there and that perspective is valuable too.</p>
<p>I should add that my son’s decision to attend Grinnell was entirely his own. When his acceptances came in, I actually suggested that he forget about Grinnell, which he had never seen, and just choose from what was within driving distance! But, he wanted to see the process through, visited Grinnell, revisited all his more local acceptances and made the very difficult decision to put himself on a plane several times a year to go to college. And, he had an EA decision, so every school he applied to was one he was interested in; no safeties on his list.</p>
<p>Same with my son SDonCC; the decision was totally his own. In fact my H and I had expected him to pick Carleton, for a variety of reasons, but his “gut” told him that his people were at Grinnell and he was right. None of my son’s acceptances were local–he wanted to get out of Dodge–but some would have been easier to get to.</p>