<p>I'm an irregular poster but have used CC over the past 6-7 years to help inform our family's college and graduate school journey. S1 used this forum to gain tips that strongly influenced his admission acceptances into 14/16 engineering undergraduate programs back in 2009. He graduated from Cornell in 2013, worked at Seattle Children's Research Institute and is now heading to Karolinska Institute in Sweden to focus on a graduate degree in Bioentrepreneurship..He chose this school over American colleges to gain a truly international perspective. (I've written before about his struggles with connecting with his professors at a large university during his first years at Cornell)</p>
<p>S2 is a junior at Beloit College. He had many choices but chose his school because it was the right fit thus is having an amazing undergraduate experience and has been closely connected with his professors and classmates since day one. (CC helped us understand the importance of fit....not just prestige) </p>
<p>I realize that lots of information is exchanged on the CC forums so encourage families to calmly navigate the sea of advice and observations in order to gain a balanced perspective on not only the college application process but also the sustainability and ultimate success of one's choice.</p>
<p>Thanks to each of you for your insights and passion.</p>
<p>MC</p>