<p>i do it for self confidence</p>
<p>Funnily enough, I do happen to have a 1590 score on my SAT (darned math question !), but, in my humble opinion, the claim that 1500+ students post just to get their egos stroked is really not very substantiated. We have the right to know our chances too. And when our scores are that high and we're applying to such prestigious institutions, even slightly better or slightly worse ECs/essays are really going to count, so we need the guidance of more experienced posters. Our chances of admission aren't really that high anyway... especially if we're international and/or if massive financial aid is needed. I've heard of many students with low SATs which were admitted to Harvard, and 1600 students who were rejected....</p>
<p>i have to say, i agree with Lbtg47 - i have good SATs, an what i would, on their own, consider good grades, but i come from a very competitive school, so my 3.98 puts me about 30th in my grade. most schools i am looking at get x number of valedictorians, and reject half of them - that worries me a little, since i def. am not near being valedictorian. anyway, the point is, good grades and scores may make it seem like the person has little to worry about, but this assumption is by no means true.</p>
<p>1) Yes, there is such a thing as a person who is not good at test taking. I myself get narrow-minded and forget a lot of things since I'm so focused on the time element, leading me to make careless mistakes and read something but completely misunderstand what it is asking. Tests can cause stress, especially tests that are built up to be extremely important, and stress can definitely change your thought processes.
2) There are so many different things involved in admissions that it can be confusing at times. One resource says this, another says that. I believe the majority of people ask what their chances are to get confidence, certainly not to boast their scores. College is a major decision, and everyone has the right to be a little worried.</p>
<p>What I do think people do here is stress too much! I can understand how people get wrapped up in getting everything perfect, but how much are you willing to sacrifice in order to obtain it? For me, it's simply not worth it to beat myself up over the fact that I got a few Bs back in Freshman year, or I didn't involve myself in some club or activity, or I didn't get the test score that truly shows what I know I am capable of. I know who I am! I don't need an admissions officer or somebody in a forum to tell me what I'm worth, and neither does anyone else here.</p>
<p>The truth is NO ONE has a lock on admission to Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. EVERYONE takes a shot at failure when they apply. BUT....you can easily check the admission statistics to see if you are a statistical match or not. If you have a near-perfect GPA...1500+ SATs...top class rank....great ECs..lots of AP classes...you're not going to do any better! What's so hard to figure out? The best anyone on these boards is going to tell you is you have as good a shot as anyone. Unless, of course, you're looking for a little somthin' extra for your ego.</p>
<p>I don't think its ego as much as a matter of reassurance. A lot of times people get so worked up about their chances. Asking people on the board here is a good way to have a reality check and get reassured.</p>
<p>if it's such a crapshoot, random people on the internet are not going to be able to tell you if you're in or not, if you're in the ballpark for stats, then only the subjective factors remain, and those are things we can't accurately evaluate as we aren't adcoms, that's why I feel it's an ego boost</p>
<p>The thing that bugs me here is how people act all knowing when they give chances. Are they actually qualified to do that? I have a hunch they're not. Yet, I encourage by posting my own stats...so i guess i should shut up.</p>
<p>You may doubt the credibility of the people who respond to "chances" threads. And so do I. But that doesn't mean that 1500 scorers have to share that doubt. Also, I think many of the 1500s don't know a lot of the nuances of the admission system such as what constitutes a URM. In short - if you think they're on an ego trip, fine, then ignore them and let the people who don't agree respond to the posts.</p>
<p>I do respond to lots of chances posts, but usually it's 1 of 2 times 1. only by luck will they get in 2. they seem to show an actual concern for where they get in, too often someone is applying to all 8 ivies, and I don't see why anybody would want to</p>
<p>Top ivies arent like the kids that predict chances. Let me tell u y...these kids dont know ur personality ur passioin or ur true devotion...if u are sincerely devoted to some sort of ec. Thats what helps a ton,, if u are devoted to something. Adcoms see that through interviews and when they ask questions. But kids on cc dont see that.</p>