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What I am arguing is that the high school senior has the responsibility and duty to find out about the different kinds of schools that are available, decide what schools are best for them, or could be good for them, and then apply. I don't think it's too much to ask.
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<p>Well, while this sounds nice in theory, it runs into the practical problem that I believe has been alluded to by others, which is that you just don't know where you will get admitted. You can find the specific program that makes your heart sing, that provides you with the perfect match, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and otherwise... and then not get in. If that happens to you, then you've basically wasted all of that time researching the program. </p>
<p>This actually happened to a guy I know. He determined that a small, highly technically focused program would be perfect for him. So he applied to places like Caltech, Harvey-Mudd, Rose-Hulman, and several other places that were like that... and he didn't get into any of them. On the other hand, he did apply to his state school (Berkeley) and he did get into that. Berkeley is obviously very different from any of those small tech-focused schools. He it's a good thing he applied, because if he had not, he would not have been admitted to any school at all.</p>
<p>Look, the truth is, not everybody gets to go to the school that you want, and in particular, not everybody gets to go to the school that fits well. Hence, it behooves people to cast their net widely.</p>
<p>Since so many kids are interested in the ivies, how about we have some threads that discuss the pros and cons of each of these schools? I agree that kids should do their own research, but this could be a stepping stone (esp for the kid who doesn't know where to begin and came here for guidance). </p>
<p>I admit I don't know that much about these schools since my d didn't look at them. My DS is just beginning his college search. Students could use this info to decide which schools fit them best, rather than just picking the top 15 schools on some list.</p>
<p>Northstarmom,
While I'm sure those threads were originally created for that purpose, they currently do not offer much useful information. While occasionally, good threads such as "How's the social life at...?" do pop up, for the most part, they have turned into mini chances threads that read like, "OMG....Do I Have What It Takes to get IN?" or "What does Harvard/Yale/Columbia [put your favored IVY school here] look for?" rather than "What opportunities are available at [school name]?" or "What kind of research or arts grants does [school name] offer its students for independent projects and how do I apply for those?"</p>
<p>I don't think questions about the chances at the Ivies is an unreasonable question and it definitely shouldn't be banned (after all it's not offensive/inappropriate). A lot of people don't know very much about colleges but are very ambitious students who hope to attend Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, U Pennsylvania, or Yale. In terms of chances, I would just compare their stats/attributes to the mean numbers that each of the eight schools provide. Alternatively, you could give them their chances at Cornell, which is the easiest Ivy to get into (overall). I think these sort of hostile reactions to innocent questions isn't very healthy or helpful for students who are driven but perhaps less knowledgeable than many other people on this board.</p>
<p>davida1: hostile reactions to innocent questions </p>
<p>that sounds much more like the What Are My Chances? forum. (which was the whole point of windcloud and my thread) </p>
<p>The problem with that forum is the way people respond to these "innocent questions" with a stern "not a chance in hell" if they don't have 4.0 2400 and cured cancer.
And these questions aren't always "innocent". If I had a dollar for everytime somebody inflated their scores i would be a rich man. And then the people who put 4.0 2400 say "should i even bother applying" hoping to get a self-esteem boost.</p>
<p>"I don't think questions about the chances at the Ivies is an unreasonable question and it definitely shouldn't be banned."</p>
<p>I never suggested anything remotely close to 'banning' all chances threads regarding schools in the Ivy League. Rather, I suggested those who put down the name of every single IVY on their college list without considering what each school has to offer separately should not except to receive any real or helpful response. </p>
<p>THOSE chances threads are setting themselves up to get Hostile responses. </p>
<p>I don't think starting this thread was a hostile response. Something like, "Don't bother applying" is.</p>
<p>Sometimes the responses to those chance threads aren't meant to be hostile, either--it just seems that way. </p>
<p>Let me give just one example. Presume someone tells me they have a 740 SAT II Math IIC score and wants to know their chances at Caltech. How many people are aware than in a recent year the entire admitted class at Caltech scored an 800 on this test? So I can tell this person asking for "chances" with some relative certainty that their odds are not that good. But if I tell them their SAT II Math score is too low, it is going to come across as "hostile" even though that is not my intent.</p>
<p>I think this goes back to WindUltraCloud's point--if you don't know the schools well enough when you ask about chances, don't expect the responses to seem that helpful or that "real".</p>
<p>haha I liked that last post because I had a 740 IIC score and applied to MIT, of course I didnt get in, but I didnt know about the entire class at CalTech getting an 800, thats ridiculous.</p>
<p>^ skibob is right, despite the gratuitous slur against the homosexual lifestyle - I honestly couldn't care less if you all are as gay as Oscar Wilde.</p>
<p>Is there a problem with copying a list straight out of US World & News Report? You might take intellectual offense to it, because you think it's silly, but what's the big deal?</p>
<p>Don't be ridiculous and gripe about people caring about prestige, when College Confidential lumps the top 25 or so schools in the country into their own category, and gives special significance to the Ivy League. Everyone who's ever posted a "chances" thread on college confidential is obsessed about getting into a prestigious school.</p>
<p>"No I'm not! I want a school that 'fits' me!"</p>
<p>some people just like the phrase "ivy". Kind of like some people like jewelry, cars, or anything that is like that. A person that thinks a fake diamond looks better that a real one may choose the real one because its real and shows off glamour. Or a person may get to choose between cars...a cheap one that is comfy of two expensive ones like a mercedes and a rolls royce. The expensive ones may not be alike but they show richness and classyness better that the cheap one. Some people like things like that. Wow that is a stupid analogy hahaha i am so tired...catch u on the flip side</p>
<p>Oh, come on...give some of these people a break. Most of them have just started the college process and thusly neither know what they want, or how the system works.</p>
<p>There is a new website called found at <a href="http://www.admission%5B/url%5D">http://www.admission</a> chances.com/ where you can input your stats and ECs, and have other people review you in exchange for points that they use to access comments/ratings that people did of them. If you really want to be 'chanced,' that's the fastest and most efficient way to go.</p>
<p>I like those threads; they have an objective answer, statistically speaking.</p>
<p>Your chances are as follows:</p>
<p>Cornell > Penn > Dartmouth > Brown > Princeton > Columbia > Harvard > Yale</p>
<p>Also, fhimas88888888 linked to admission chances, which is a good site. I use that one, but I also like <a href="http://www.mychances.net/%5B/url%5D">http://www.mychances.net/</a>, which is a little more straightforward and has some really nice search and graphical features. Anyone else have good links for us?</p>
<p>But its more than about acceptance rate, especially this year. The schools also look for different things. Dartmouth is an SAT monger, while Penn is a GPA monger for example.</p>