<p>Here are two excerpts from recent posts by students:</p>
<p>“Please do not try to tell me about other 'hidden gem' schools.”</p>
<p>AND</p>
<p>“Also please don't tell me to start studying for the SSAT or anything like that. If you don't have an answer, don't reply.”</p>
<p>Maybe it’s just me, but neither of those statements makes me feel like raising a finger for either poster...even if I think I have some helpful advice based on my experience shepherding one child through the process.</p>
<p>For some reason, I assumed people came on here to get advice...not just the advice they want to hear.</p>
<p>Yes, I think it is “VERY specific advice” they are hoping for!!
I was shaking my head when I read these too.<br>
But, at least they said “please”. :)</p>
<p>Heck, I’d say some of the best advice I’ve gotten from the forum over the years is stuff I didn’t want to hear!</p>
<p>Latest example: Don’t let one sport play too big an part in your decision-making.</p>
<p>I agree with you in general, although the first of those I thought was legit. If I recall correctly, the student’s mother had already said she wasn’t willing to pay for BS unless it was a [pick your acronym] school. In those circumstances, I can see how getting a bunch of suggestions about hidden gem schools would just be frustrating for the kid.
The SSAT one was just silly, though. For pete’s sake, how hard would it be to just take the SSAT if you’ve already aced the SAT?</p>
<p>@soxmom: The thing about that post was it was the poster’s third on the topic…and she had already gotten the “hidden gems” advice, I think some of it from me! </p>
<p>And here’s my feeling on that particular student’s predicament: If part of her anxiety about the whole process is whether or not she “has what it takes” to get in somewhere, then focusing on the most selective schools isn’t going to help very much. So one very sensible suggestion, despite what she and her mother feel, may be to focus on “second tier” schools where she will be able to truly stand out in the applicant pool.</p>
<p>What’s more, I’m concerned that the friction between parent and child in that case might bubble up in the application process and be easy to spot for AOs.</p>
<p>Finally (for now), the recent update by SharingGift that her child was an 7th grade 800 SAT (on CR section, no less) scorer and still did not get in anywhere makes me think that things have ratcheted up quite a bit in terms of selectivity since we last went through this.</p>
<p>Not sure I entirely agree. If the parents are only willing to consider certain schools, then you apply to those schools and make the best of it. She either gets in there, or she doesn’t and stays at home. Nothing wrong with having an approach that says I’ll only go if I get into x, y, or z; it’s not BS or bust. It’s a shame that the kid is stressing about it so much already, but I have to admit that as much as I try not to, I’m already starting to stress about where my second child will get in and she’s not even going to be going through the application process until the fall of 2014.</p>
<p>@soxmom: You are right. I was letting my “there are more than 5 schools worth going to” bias show again. Not that I’ve ever tried to hide it. ;-P</p>
<p>@soxmom</p>
<p>I’m already stressing about where my second child will go as well – and he will be entering 2nd grade in the fall!</p>