Not a Very Active Board

[Plainsman]

There isn't enough conversation on this board about Dickinson. What does that mean? Other LACs have constant chatter. I could be wrong, but there seems to be a correlation between the amount of chatter and a college's ranking. I wish prospective Dickinson students and parents were more interested in this board. Are prospective Dickinson students and parents less excited than say Swarthmore prospies?

[dchow08]

Probably because there are more applicants to Swarthmore than Dickinson, so there are more specs asking questions on the Swarthmore board.

[Peabodie]

I think the Facebook pages for the incoming class get a lot more action, at least according to my D, who is a current first-year student. Plus I think Dickinson posts a lot of online forums for prospective/accepted students, so maybe more of the kids do their conversing there and on Facebook, rather than on CC.

Otherwise, I'm not sure why this board gets so quiet. At least it's not full of complaints, lol.

[DougBetsy]

I've noticed chatter has let up on most of the boards I read (Gburg, Elon, Laf, Richmond, etc.) I think that's because the busy season is winding down for college matching. Seniors have their decisions and juniors aren't fully active yet.

It's cyclical and seasonal. I don't think it's a reflection of a school's ranking. And if it is, so what? A school doesn't have to be highly ranked to be right for a kid.

[Juniper18]

I agree with posters who say the lack of action is not indicative of anything. Last year the forum was more active, but I think that reflected the fact that many students didn't know much about Dickinson. I think Dickinson has been doing a much better job of reaching out to HS across the country, so it is more of a known quantity. Having said that, I heard the Admin Director speak at an admitted student event. She said that ED and EA applications were up this year, but overall apps were down 5%. Interestingly, RD was very competitive - over 3000 apps for only 160 spots. Also, as another poster mentioned, most comments on this Board are positive about the Dickinson experience. Often, lots of action equates to unhappiness. And finally, last year, once the Facebook group formed, the Board was silent except for parent questions. I suspect that is probably true this year too.

[Plainsman]

^^^

3,000 apps for 160 spots? Woo hoo, D should be thrilled she was admitted RD under those odds. Right now she's on the fence between the closer to home, better organized, better curriculum at Dickinson and the more prestigious, more liberal Oberlin. Two weeks to make a decision. It can't happen fast enough for me.

[DougBetsy]

Plainsman, I don't mean to diminish your D's success. But remember, in order to fill 160 RD slots, Dickinson must send out several hundred extra admits.

[Juniper18]

Good luck to your D Plainsman. She has only excellent options.