<p>when i'm a parent with a kid applying to college, i'm going to go on forums full of high school kids and argue with them. i just hope i can use my time that effectively one day.</p>
<p>Melqui -- You wonder about inconsistent posts by newzbugg. I'm not the only person who uses this computer/screenname. Not all newzbugg posts are posted by the same person.</p>
<p>No. My son was not rejected by NYU. I like to visit the forums of the colleges that my son was accepted to because there is a lot of useful information about programs, pitfalls, etc. Also, I can determine the tone of the forum community. On most forums, the posters are informative, friendly and helpful ... and respectful of one another. On other forums students are rude to adults (like ESSR181 and percpaul), and competitive toward one another. This tells me something about what the student body is probably like.</p>
<p>I guess that is helpful information, too.</p>
<p>i'm not rude, i have high aspirations, you're the one being rude.</p>
<p>This has nothing to with students being rude to adults. This is a forum, it doesn't matter what age you are. If you're rude, you're going to get a response regardless what age you are and what age the responder is. You accuse someone who means well of being smug then go on to brag about your son. Get over yourself and your son.</p>
<p>"Not all newzbugg posts are posted by the same person."</p>
<p>LOL. They all have sons applying to highly rated colleges, got rejected by their first choice, would be a boon to any school, etc.</p>
<p>Newzbugg--
what does your son think of you arguing like a child on this forum? personally, if you were my mother i would be rather emmbarrassed. do you have a job? a life? i am thrilled that NYU was a safety for your son! COOL! it was a reach for me. and as a matter of fact, i can relate with every person that was rejected from NYU, seeing as i rejected from my in-state safety school. i originally made this post, not to "rub salt in wounds," but to offer some insight to some people who were clearly confused about their rejection. to me, college is a very small thing in my life. i didn't even start applying before a week the application was due, and by most standards, probably yours, i've been a "slacker" and a "coaster" all through high school. i had the oppurtunity to mark Black on my college application, seeing as i am half black, i decided against it though, not wanting any unfair unadvantage over my white and asian peers. i wish your son well at yale or johns hopkin or wherever next year!</p>
<p>
lol, worst excuse ever</p>
<p>oh, stereotypes. haha</p>
<p>Wow, this is a hot thread. What drama. And what it makes me think of is that the admissions process for every school should be open. I think the institutions should be mandated to say exactly how they choose who is admitted. Give percentages of how much each quality, activity is counted. In a way, a sunshine law.</p>
<p>Rather than argue amongst yourselves, pressure should be brought upon these institutions to make an accounting of the admissions process. Especially public institutions, since they are public. We have to OUT the admissions process!</p>
<p>ESSR181: </p>
<p>are you talking about what i said? it's not a stereotype if it's true!</p>
<p>no no, i'm talking about the whole obsessive parent whose only concern is a brand name on his/her child's diploma stereotype. it just fascinates me when stereotypes prove true, that's all. haha</p>
<p>
[quote]
This tells me something about what the student body is probably like.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I would hope a person wouldn't be so bold as to characterize the entire student body of a school based on internet discussions with a few students. :rolleyes: You would do far better by visiting the school and its students and basing your opinion on that.</p>
<p>^ I definately agree. Out of all the ways to determine if a University is good fit you / your children / friends, the attitude of posters in the universities' forum would have to be the least effective.</p>
<p>it's interesting, all the schools these days are boasting of record application numbers. i think that while this does reflect an increase in the number of qualified applicants, i think it also reflects a change in strategy on the part of the applicants.</p>
<p>people are applying to 4, 8, 12 or more schools these days. a result of this is a flood of applications for each school. admissions committees are now not only selecting students that they would like to have as a part of their incoming class, but also those that they actually think will choose to attend. i think this adds an extra layer of perceived randomness to the process, potentially locking out students who really want to attend a particular institution, as the institution may view itself as the student's "safety."</p>
<p>at the end of the day, everybody loses. students are forced to apply to more schools, and if they want to attend a school that might be perceived as "beneath" them by the school itself, they may end up going somewhere they don't neccessarily want to go. (or even find themselves with a summary rejection from all their choices.) admission committees are forced to sift through even more applications, thus lowering the quality of the review process. finally, the "if we admit them, will they actually attend?" question further clouds the admissions process.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think the institutions should be mandated to say exactly how they choose who is admitted. Give percentages of how much each quality, activity is counted. In a way, a sunshine law.</p>
<p>Rather than argue amongst yourselves, pressure should be brought upon these institutions to make an accounting of the admissions process. Especially public institutions, since they are public. We have to OUT the admissions process!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>that is the most awful idea i've ever heard. the university of calfornia used to use such a system, where each application received a composite score composed of scores in each area (gpa, tests, essays, extracurricular, outside achievement, exceptional circumstances, etc). some of the campuses still use it (UCSD: <a href="https://tritonlink.ucsd.edu/portal/site/prospective-students/menuitem.24134797e5e2fd95a0b86710514b01ca?storyID=20690%5B/url%5D">https://tritonlink.ucsd.edu/portal/site/prospective-students/menuitem.24134797e5e2fd95a0b86710514b01ca?storyID=20690</a> , UCSC: <a href="http://admissions.ucsc.edu/frosh_not_select07.cfm#overview%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.ucsc.edu/frosh_not_select07.cfm#overview</a>) but it has been phased out at pretty much all of the other ones in favor of a holistic process.</p>
<p>if you publish "this is what we're looking for" then people will shape themselves to fill that mold. at the end of the day, you end up with a class that is very good at meeting requirements and not so great at taking risks, acting independently or attempting to stand out.</p>