College and University Discussion board has become toxic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read because someone always knows when the release dates are! But I am tired of all the armchair experts proclaiming that kid’s activities or personalities are faulty. My guess is they are parents with older adult kids who don’t understand the randomness of the current process or parents of toddlers.

YES. I am tired of the armchair experts claiming either my kid is "a dime a dozen" w/o knowing her achievements or the ones who answer my question by not answering it and then lecture me on some assumption about my or my kid's choices or the ones who say "it's the same every year" not acknowledging the immense growth in applications. I come here mostly for info, but a little compassion from others in the same boat is nice once in a while too. I don't get why people who can't do that don't just refrain from posting!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Face it, the entire forum can be toxic. I believe it’s the anonymous ability to post. People say a lot of crap here that they would never voice in real life. They pretend to know what is in the admissions officer’s head when they actually work for the federal government 😀 Try not to let it get to you.

I am an older parent and have attended more college tours that I can count and nobody tells you the secret of how to get accepted.

The reality is that most admissions readers are hired seasonally, and at many elite schools the readers are recent grads who are there because they weren’t talented enough to enter consulting or IB. And now they get to decide if your child gets admitted.

Newsflash not everyone wants to be a consultant or a banker. The world is a very big place and there’s a wide diversity of people in it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Face it, the entire forum can be toxic. I believe it’s the anonymous ability to post. People say a lot of crap here that they would never voice in real life. They pretend to know what is in the admissions officer’s head when they actually work for the federal government 😀 Try not to let it get to you.

I am an older parent and have attended more college tours that I can count and nobody tells you the secret of how to get accepted.

The reality is that most admissions readers are hired seasonally, and at many elite schools the readers are recent grads who are there because they weren’t talented enough to enter consulting or IB. And now they get to decide if your child gets admitted.

Newsflash not everyone wants to be a consultant or a banker. The world is a very big place and there’s a wide diversity of people in it

Obviously, but my point is the admissions readers weren’t top students themselves, yet are somehow quailed to judge who is at the gates.

[Anonymous]

Read Becky Munsterer-Sabky’s book about Dartmouth admissions.

[Anonymous]

This forum is the same as it's ever been

[Anonymous]

Actually, I think it is the application process itself that has become toxic. It wasn't this way for my first, my second was HS class of 2021, and my third wil be 2023.

TO, plus Common Application (which did exist for kid #1), has made it more difficult, and top 20 schools a total crap shoot for all, even high performing GPA, high test scores, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This forum is the same as it's ever been

+1,000 99% of what is said here would get you kicked off the equivalent spaces on CollegeConfidential and Reddit. Which means you have to rift through a lot of BS on here, but you also find a lot richer discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Face it, the entire forum can be toxic. I believe it’s the anonymous ability to post. People say a lot of crap here that they would never voice in real life. They pretend to know what is in the admissions officer’s head when they actually work for the federal government 😀 Try not to let it get to you.

I am an older parent and have attended more college tours that I can count and nobody tells you the secret of how to get accepted.

The reality is that most admissions readers are hired seasonally, and at many elite schools the readers are recent grads who are there because they weren’t talented enough to enter consulting or IB. And now they get to decide if your child gets admitted.

Newsflash not everyone wants to be a consultant or a banker. The world is a very big place and there’s a wide diversity of people in it

Obviously, but my point is the admissions readers weren’t top students themselves, yet are somehow quailed to judge who is at the gates.

You have no idea whether or not admissions readers were top students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not about this forum.

They are the exact same people who won't let you merge on the beltway. Who purchase speed passes so they and their children can cut the line in front of less worthy families at Disneyworld. They care about money and status more than other people...or it seems, their on children's mental health or the future of our country.

Yeah, this is one of many places that such people are on display.

Many of the posters we disdain are entitled and selfish.

4 of the ten richest counties in the US are in the DMV. They did not get that way by playing nicely by others. And they do not seek equity or improved conditions for the many Americans who struggle to get by everyday.

They seek a T20 college for their offspring.

Your ire is directed at Disney, who has created a multi-tier system. They aren't "cutting the line" if they bought passes.

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of bad information in this forum. I’ve posted some comments, but many posters seem sure they know what they’re doing. Last year, my first kid got into his top-choice, Top 25 school and my second kid will apply in two years. I hope parents and students remain just as confused. I would just offer that if you’re sending out 20-25 applications, you have no idea what you’re doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not about this forum.

They are the exact same people who won't let you merge on the beltway. Who purchase speed passes so they and their children can cut the line in front of less worthy families at Disneyworld. They care about money and status more than other people...or it seems, their on children's mental health or the future of our country.

Yeah, this is one of many places that such people are on display.

Many of the posters we disdain are entitled and selfish.

4 of the ten richest counties in the US are in the DMV. They did not get that way by playing nicely by others. And they do not seek equity or improved conditions for the many Americans who struggle to get by everyday.

They seek a T20 college for their offspring.

Your ire is directed at Disney, who has created a multi-tier system. They aren't "cutting the line" if they bought passes.

You are missing the larger point. It is a type and a mindset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read Becky Munsterer-Sabky’s book about Dartmouth admissions.

I did. What were your takeaways? I didn't find much that was super compelling. Besides the obvious trope of wanting 17 year olds full of passion and hating on kids who have experienced any privilege.

And those re-telling anecdotes from her experiences were so stupid and silly. The dialogue was so cringey, as my DC would say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Face it, the entire forum can be toxic. I believe it’s the anonymous ability to post. People say a lot of crap here that they would never voice in real life. They pretend to know what is in the admissions officer’s head when they actually work for the federal government 😀 Try not to let it get to you.

I am an older parent and have attended more college tours that I can count and nobody tells you the secret of how to get accepted.

+1000. There is an occasional piece of helpful information on a DC’s experience at a particular school but you have to wade through a lot of toxic posts to find it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not about this forum.

They are the exact same people who won't let you merge on the beltway. Who purchase speed passes so they and their children can cut the line in front of less worthy families at Disneyworld. They care about money and status more than other people...or it seems, their on children's mental health or the future of our country.

Yeah, this is one of many places that such people are on display.

Many of the posters we disdain are entitled and selfish.

4 of the ten richest counties in the US are in the DMV. They did not get that way by playing nicely by others. And they do not seek equity or improved conditions for the many Americans who struggle to get by everyday.

They seek a T20 college for their offspring.

Your ire is directed at Disney, who has created a multi-tier system. They aren't "cutting the line" if they bought passes.

You are missing the larger point. It is a type and a mindset.

In all seriousness, speed passes are the best.

[Anonymous]

I like reading “real talk”. If I wanted to be told my kid with a 1500 and a 3.9 and lots of AP classes who is nice but nothing special is definitely getting into Harvard, I’d ask my parents, who think he’s getting into Harvard and Yale.

But because of this forum, I know my kid is a dime of dozen (well, one of 100,000), and will do great at UMD or Michigan State or wherever he ends up.