<p>I agree witha OP's opinion abotu chances threads. be confident in yourself and your accomplishments, while getting an positive feed back from this site is motivating, those feedbacks says nothing about your actual chance.</p>
<p>however I do find CC a relaxing place to be when the college applcation stress is getting to me. </p>
<p>I also agree with the parents part, they are a great source for information. however no one should be limiting themselves to CC for information. I find myself extremely annoyed when peole post things that can be found in the FAQ of certain college websites. (like asking "how do I get an interview?" on columbia board. dont depend on CC to do your research for you, if you care enough to apply then read teh college's website.</p>
<p>Haha so I was just thinking... Wharton + HYPS = WHYPS hahahaha. Like whips! Hahahaha.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Anyway, I usually just read the High School Life forum, where the threads are either useless procrastinating tools or about stuff like olympiads and summer programs, which actually help me because I ask for advice and almost always get it. I only go on the College Admissions and College Search boards to give advice, not get it, and I've stopped using the SAT/ACT boards because all I cared about was which books to get for what tests and now I've pretty much memorized the list. I post on the WAMC board only once in a while when I'm REALLY board adn the High School Life board isn't active.</p>
<p>I definitely don't let other people's stats intimiate me, though, and I certainly don't copy other people's ideas, since I'd had several of my own that I'd began working on before I found this site (although this site, I admit, has somewhat inspired me to develop my ideas to their fullest potential) plus I already knew a ton about college admissions because I'm the third child to go to college in my family.</p>
<p>Of course CC isn't perfect, but you have to be smart and know how to use it and when to not let it get to you.</p>
<p>I think this site is a very usefull tool. I have learned a huge amount about colleges and college admission. I just wish I knew about it before I submitted all of my applications. I think I could have really improved a lot of things.</p>
<p>cause if the op doesn't make it into any top choices that he applied to, then that would be a contradition to his claims (at least to some degree)</p>
<p>I don't believe so, no. He has several very good points, and what schools he makes or does not make doesn't change the validity of what he's said.</p>
<p>IVYPoison... I think that it doesn't matter where I get into... either way you could reason that I am right or wrong. If I get in, you could say it's because of the CCness I got into my head. If I don't get in, you could say it's because of the CCness I got into my head or you could say it's because I didn't adhere enough to CC.</p>
<p>This wasn't meant to be a topic about me.... just my observations of CC and my advice for how people could best use it: parents and getting advice on good study techniques/books for various tests or asking people for their experiences..... I think it's missused with stuff like
"omg can I have your essay if you got in?"
"what are my chances?"
"how many clubs should I have?"
"should I retake a 790?"</p>
<p>There is probably a balance needed between using CC as a resource for information and allowing yourself to be discouraged by the competition at the top 12 or 15 schools. It is hard for one site to work for everyone. Some people need encouragement and other people need a stiff reality check. Some people are aiming for HYP and need the reality check while other people are aiming for top 50 schools and misinterpret the warnings. </p>
<p>Also, CC can just eat up alot of time like a video game or a chatroom.</p>
<p>As long as you don't abuse your CC usage, this place is quite helpful. I see current students of certain colleges answering questions for accepted applicants. During the winter season, people remind each other of the deadlines coming up. When people have technical difficulties, there's someone who doesn't mind to take a minute to explain such petty things. CC is like an online college info center. Just don't take everything on the site literally because that can deject you.</p>
<p>i thought this post could serve as more of a warning for all the juniors + new kids to not let the whole college process + CC consume them because I came close to that point.</p>
<p>fine. if we can't use Reeze as an example, we can use me. If i get into ANY of WHYPS, then CC surfing works. If i don't, then i personally have no regrets, since without CC's motivation, i would NEVER have DREAMED of applying to those schools anyways. I'm dead serious too. My parents had always joked that WHYPS are just "day-dreams" for me since the start of high school, and i had always thought places like HYPS are only for the geniuses of the geniuses and unreal kids like in movies--until a friend introduced me to CC, and one glance at the decision threads showed me that HYPS are NOT impossible to get into, even for the average folk, given that the average folk has enough motivation. Which was EXACTLY what CC gave me. </p>
<p>We'll see come 25 days or so. But keep in mind i have absolutely NO regrets if i get rejected from WHYPS, cause i know the journey i went through resulting from the motivation i got from CC will last me a longgggg time. Besides, remember, without CC, i would NEVER have dreamed of applying to those schools anyways.</p>
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i thought this post could serve as more of a warning for all the juniors + new kids to not let the whole college process + CC consume them because I came close to that point.
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<p>Well you are implying that you haven't been "CC"ed, so if you do get into your school of choice, your assertions has more validity.</p>