<p>I would guess I am another testimonial for Google. Can’t remember the search. But I do know why I’ve stuck around. Numbers. Sheer numbers.</p>
<p>This board provides in my estimation the greatest concentration of parents of academically exceptional high school students. Anywhere. More importantly while other boards tend to become “brag” forums, this place will pop the most ballooned ego. And quickly. So we don’t do it. Those that do are quickly jettisoned.</p>
<p>When we post stats of our kids the board knows we are not putting down some other kid and it rarely turns into “my kid can outdo your kid”. In our lives , where else does this happen? At school events we all nod acknowledgment when someone mentions our child in a positive light, but most of us, even those in higher-quality schools, don’t have many parents we can discuss ANY of these issues with in as frank a manner as we can on this board. I am constantly bombarded by parents saying “Little Johnny could do as well as your kid if the little B#@#$$# would study”. Never, not one time, have I ever had a poster approach me in a similar fashion on this board.That is so “freeing”. </p>
<p>I mean folks , where else can we say things like “Harvard’s undergraduate education is not what D is looking for in a college”, and not get laughed at or thought a snob? Or truly wrestle with Vandy at zero, Yale at $43k? These are not common conversations down at the Fina station here in Two Egg and I doubt they are at a Boston area Starbucks, either. And even at the schools where this type of discourse is more common-the medium lends itself to a frankness that would not exist at a meeting of prep school parents.Too much baggage to carry around at school.</p>
<p>My child is a rather gifted child that by any objective measure is in the top 1% to 2% of college bound high school students. Here that makes her about par. Several students higher, several lower. That is why I stay. </p>
<p>Case in point. The edit you see noted above was me changing the phrase “exceptionally gifted” to “rather gifted” in describing my D. In the company we keep on this board , D is not “exceptional”. That makes the opinions and experiences of the other posters so relevant, so timely, and oftentimes -so persuasive.</p>
<p>My goals are to learn more about both the schools themselves and the application process so I can share that info with my kids when the time comes … hopefully helping them making more informed decisions.</p>
<p>In return I will hopefully provide some information or experiences that others find helpful</p>
<p>As it appears I have combined two threads in one and failed to answer the prompt on this one-sheesh, my cc current goal is to ferret out one or two schools that D would love and would be proud to attend that are challenging and rewarding, yet are statistical and financial safeties. After that I plan to let her run with the big dogs and dream big dreams. That part of the search will be a lot more fun for me than this part, or at least I think it will.</p>
<p>curmudgeon, your post 21 was a delectable morsel in my breakfast buffet today. :)</p>
<p>I could not agree more. It is SO difficult to discuss colleges with neighbors & friends. </p>
<p>Our wonderful neighbors have a senior too, and it was difficult to even share our daughter’s ED news with them, as their kid is still waiting to hear. If we didn’t tell them, it would be weird; if we did tell them, it would be weird. We told them, it was weird (but only a little, because they are gracious people who were very happy for our D.) </p>
<p>Whereas here on CC I could JUMP UP AND DOWN!!!</p>
<p>Also in real life nobody has heard of some of the LACs I was so curious about. Here there is incredible knowledge. Ditto the athletic recruitment process, I was so clueless. I got such good advice and help from so many people on CC.</p>
<p>My son has 2 best friends whose moms are my best friends. One of the boys was accepted ED to a tippy top LAC, the other has several acceptances to well regarded LACs(one with merit scholarship) and my son is waiting still! Of course we tell each other, we comiserate, we share joy, we kvell for one another…we are friends.</p>
<p>When my older son was accepted to schools last year (their other kids are either older or younger) no one had much info on a few of the schools he was deciding between…that’s where CC came in to start with. Hopefully in a month or so another decision will lie ahead of this son! And then, after the luggage and sheets and alarm clocks have been purchased…off we go, cold turkey!!</p>
<p>Dave has expressed the hope that <em>some</em> parents and students stick around to help the rookies when they come around as the year cycles through. </p>
<p>I’ve done it for a year now and I’ve got to say that I find it worthwhile and rewarding…kind of a cross between being museum docent, volunteer firefighter, and would-be bartender as a kind of community service.</p>
<p>It’s very different considering some of the questions after having passed out the back end of the process…and if that draws a dubious image to mind, be my guest.
Much akin to real estate transactions being easier when they’re not my own personal ones. Though in both cases, compassion learned in the latter applies in the former.</p>
