Chances for Andover?

Prep School Admissions
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<p>The lesson here, friends, is that – contrary to my contention above – the “What Are My Chances” threads are not always just harmless fun. (They should always be harmless fun…but things can go wrong.)</p>

<p>When you lay yourself out in detail, you have to expect people will recognize you. And it makes you feel that much more vulnerable (and sensitive and defensive and touchy), because it’s now you who’s on the line, not some anonymous screen name.</p>

<p>And whether you’re being honest or not isn’t the problem. This is the Internet and it’s just not a good idea to be so plain – particularly in a forum where your personal information becomes “permanent” if you don’t realize just how personalized your information is within 20 minutes of making your original post.</p>

<p>Frankly, I assume – AND HOPE – that the facts presented in these “What Are My Chances?” threads ARE altered. Not because I condone lying, but because I hope that all the kids here are protective of their privacy. </p>

<p>While “What Are My Chances?” threads may give vulnerable kids an intimation of how the game is played (I don’t subscribe to that view, but will go along with paleo’s contention for argument’s sake), there’s still no need for brutal accuracy in what’s disclosed in order for kids to glean that kind of information from these threads. And let’s be honest: there is NO breach of trust among us and NO advantage to be gained by the inquiring poster if that person inflates their scores or GPAs or ECs in these threads.</p>

<p>I encourage applicants who resort to the “What Are My Chances?” threads for comfort, insight, glorification (or whatever motivation you prefer) to use this **“Rule of FIVE”<a href=“which%20has%20just%204%20keys”>/b</a>:</p>

<p>FRIENDLY – there’s no need to argue or let your thread become contentious.</p>

<p>INACCURATE – you don’t have to give accurate information to find out what you want to know, particularly since the people you’re asking have NO qualifications to answer correctly even if you’re 100% accurate.</p>

<p>VAGUE – please keep your personal identity private!</p>

<p>ENTERTAINING – make your posts worth reading by throwing in some absurd facts. (Back in my time, I once had my bio for a school play read that I was a crocodile hunter…and nobody complained that I was lying and everybody who stumbled on it was glad that I slipped it in, making it a real ice-breaker). People tend to have a hard time being a harda$s with you if you’ve just made them laugh or smile.</p>

<p>So, go ahead. Have fun – whether you’re asking or advising. But be careful. And remember D’yer’s Rule of FIVE.</p>

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<p>runawaywith me</p>

<p>could you divide your paragraphs…?</p>

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<p>Let’s also add: Don’t contridict yourself.</p>

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<p>I find the whole experience dispiriting and somewhat tainting. If the message is “b.s. but don’t get caught out”, the process breaks down and it is the most vulnerable of the naive kids that get hurt the most. It is a moral thing, it is called trust. If the conviction grows amongst the citizens that governments lie,not incidentally but on principle, about everything, then that society is finished. America is coming close to that. These schools, whether they be SPS, Groton, Andover, or Exeter, still retain the ideals,flavour and character of an older America. It is a fading dream but still very much alive. It is not “don’t get caught” but 'don’t lie". You used to get expelled for that.</p>

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<p>paleo – I agree with all you say and yet I don’t get why, here, in one of these “la la land” threads asking the banal “What Are My Chances?” question you’re concerned with lying – or contradicting information – or playing up a seemingly contrived sob story through two admission cycles. I even see the value in pointing out that the sob story may not play well (well…if the question was raised while the application was still a work-in-progress, it would be valuable input). And I expect that all the applications conform to the Honor Code standards of the schools they are submitted to. But if these posts here are laced with some BS – even the kind that’s plain on the face – it really doesn’t make a difference. It’s like going to the “Which Would You Choose…?” thread and calling out someone for picking Groton over St. Paul’s when they said in another post that St. Paul’s was their top choice. It’s just banter and I think it’s gotten pretty harsh. If, in fact, there’s a problem and we’re getting the same info here that Andover is getting…I’m content to let them sort it out without playing Honor Court here – over a silly kid’s game of “What Are My Chances?” No?</p>

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<p>D’yer, I think you’ve missed the level of dishonesty going on here. Not your typical embelished chances thread. If you’re interested, read her old posts and then read this thread again. It’s just insulting to those who take the time to try to be helpful.</p>

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<p>You’re correct in assuming I haven’t pored over these posts. I’m willing to assume for arguments sake that all that’s written here is just a big sham. That’s where I think I’m disconnecting with the rest of you…people I’ve otherwise nodded in agreement with on other topics here.</p>

<p>You write that it was “Not your typical embelished chances thread.” </p>

<p>So some lying is okay, but there’s a point where it crosses a line and becomes insulting?</p>

<p>I find the whole concept of “What Are My Chances?” to be total BS (not short for boarding school). The biggest fraud of all, frankly, comes from the people who weigh in and answer the question.</p>

<p>But I’m not really offended…because I regard it as a game, just like “Which One Would You Choose…?” is little else besides a game. Nor am I offended if people post pure fiction and ask the question “What Are My Chances?” In fact, that information has a general value (if one subscribes to the view that there’s some value to the process). It may not help the poster who asked, but it might give some insights to others.</p>

<p>Frankly, I would totally respect the self-contradicting posts because they would help someone get an answer – through an iterative process – while preserving their own personally identifiable information. (For example, a poster might inquire about several different profiles…with some points in common and others that vary…which, taken as a whole, might give the poster some idea about how an AdCom might look at his “true” facts, which were never all presented in a single message. At the same time, everyone else can consider these inquiries and their answers and glean information from them.) I still consider it all a silly game, but – see? – even if I buy into the argument that something worthwhile takes place in these threads, self-contradicting messages can actually be useful and even advisable.</p>

<p>If it IS as blatant as you say and if she was as bold about presenting it with Andover as she did here, the people I’ve come to know at Andover aren’t going to miss that. So, again, the value of crying “foul” over this is like pointing out (with you possibly being an exception) that our user names are total lies and misrepresent who we really are. Well, surely people use their real names on their applications even though they don’t here.</p>

<p>In short, even though I think lying and deceit on applications is abhorrent, I actually respect the use of lies and deceptions here. And if saying that means you don’t trust me anymore, I’m not offended because you’re not passing judgment on me, you’re passing judgment on some anonymous message board poster who probably likes Led Zeppelin in real life (but don’t be so sure of even that much).</p>

<p>The problem in this thread is really not the dishonesty but the HONESTY and the fact that she was too honest and probably became personally identifiable. Due to the fact that we can’t edit that stuff out after 20 minutes, I think the best course is to PM the person and give them a heads up or make a private complaint about a perceived lie if you must. </p>

<p>Now she’s got the double whammy of personally identifiable information AND allegations of lying…all locked in to uneditable posts. Ugh. That’s heartbreaking to me. And all because she somehow lied too much in an exercise typically fraught with little lies…while also being way too honest about herself…in the course of playing an inane and (as of Feb. 1) totally useless game of “What Are My Chances?” </p>

<p>Don’t you think it’s all a bit harsh? I think adults would get it (which is why I’ve been engaging paleo on this point) and…again, judging only from your posting record here and your apparent age, I’d think you’d also appreciate the land mines that younger teens can step on – particularly on a message board with such an unforgiving edit window as this one.</p>

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<p>umm okie my two cents:
WOW, runaway w/me ur story sounds absolutely amazing. am not going to get into the ‘credibility’ part but will say that i would accept u ina heartbeat. good luck to you. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>two, umm, idont know if adcoms would really go through ppls’ myspaces/facebooks/CC etc. isnt that invasion of privacy? ican imagine colleges doing that but not boarding schools.</p>

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<p>oh and one more thing-
is there seriously anything wrong w/ trying to go to bs just to get into harvard? (not that it will/wont work) its just a very personal decision, isnt it?</p>

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<p>um hell they do…we are adviced by our college office to either not disclose our identity or simply put our facebook on privacy mode because colleges do check, and BS adcoms do the same…
one year, my friend who goes to SPS, his mom found out that a classmate of his wrote “smoking crack” as one of the interest in myspace…she called the ED college that his son was applying to…they were applying to the same school early decision…u never know</p>

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<p>No, it’s NOT an invasion of privacy. That’s what I hope all the kids here understand. I don’t know if the AdComs have the time to bother with this message board, but it’s here.</p>

<p>Plus, it can’t be edited. So if you don’t fix it inside of 20 minutes, it WILL be around for the colleges to look at if they are so inclined.</p>

<p>They call these places bulletin boards…well, think of them as BILLBOARDS. And assume everything you post is going up on a billboard along a road that your mom, your favorite school’s AdCom, and all your best friends and worst enemies drive past. The moment that they figure out, through your cumulative posting history, who you are, YOU BETTER BE CONTENT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER POSTED HERE.</p>

<p>So it really pays to play nice.</p>

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<p>ahh isee. 0.o, goodness. </p>

<p>one thing im curious about tho- why is it a surprise to anyone that runawaywithme would want to harvard? imean heck, if i grew up w/ within those same crummy circumstances, then damn right id do everything i could to improve myself and make sure that i wouldnt end up the same way. </p>

<p>wait umm imightve read this too fast but runawaywithme, did u apply to exeter/andover in past yrs and got in? (srry icant pm u, idont think its on ur profile)</p>

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<p>@sabre: In 40-50 years, if you watch what you post on the Internet, you may be the only person without some scandalous information that the whole world can see, making you a leading contender for President or whatever else you might care to do!</p>

<p>I shudder to think of the myspace photos that will get conveniently recycled for the entire world in future Presidential elections.</p>

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<p>D’yer Maker, I agree with what you said about the chances threads. They’re fun to do, I liked having one and answering them, and occasionally you can get good information from them. It’s only when people get caught up in little games, like this one, (or like the one on my chances thread where goaliedad and Masterus angrily lashed out at each other over whether United States or Switzerland had the longest standing democracy, and the moderator had to close the thread) that they become a problem. People need to remember this is just an Internet forum, not an admissions office or Confession. The truth is not–and does not necessarily have to be–absolute.</p>

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<p>Sabregiel121- that’s very naive, and unfortunately, how many teenagers think these days. These threads are open to the WHOLE WORLD. Last night, this particular thread had over 1,200 views! The average there was 200 views per post! At my daughter’s school (big prep in Connecticut) the sudents are told that their Facebook/Xanga/MySpace accounts will be monitored. Many a clueless student has walked into a DC (disciplinary committee) meeting only to see evidence of their own creation printed out and waiting for them. As someone else also pointed out a couple of posts ago, character really, really matters at these schools.</p>