I started a thread.
Just look at:
https://www.trackalytics.com/website/collegeconfidential.com/
to see how the site activity is on a long steady decline.
It is sad, but nothing in the new format makes it attractive for new users to come here.
I am reading, but have no desire to search out anything and contribute.
Wow, that trackanalytics page shows CC is on the skids. What happened between December of 2018 and June of 2019? Usually views go way up from March to June, but this year they didn’t. I wonder if the application cheating scandal that emerged in March made a difference.
I try to get on here at least once every day, but TBH I don’t read much. I’m not sure it’s the new format (which I don’t like) or if it’s just me getting a bit depressed after my mom’s death. I’m definitely lonely without her to share things with and it’s amazing (to me) just how long the brain (well, my brain) dwells on those last two awful months. It makes it tough to want to do much of anything, esp those I did a lot of while sitting with her.
School starts tomorrow, so life will soon get back to its new normal. Of course, that means I’ll be busy again between that and actually handling mom’s estate (just got permission from the state to do that part). The extra busyness could also equal less time on here.
Right now it’s still 90 degrees outside. I sweat enough this morning being out, so I’m in until dusk.
I’ve definitely become more of a reader. I found that with every forum change there is a loss of long time posters. I used to catch up on CC when I was on the bike at the gym. I now find it harder to do this. The new format requires more attention to navigate and I find it hard to focus on exercise and scrolling at the same time. I also switched to the elliptical which isn’t as forum scrolling friendly and as others have posted there isn’t a lot going on that takes long to catch up on.
I’m still hanging in because I have history with a lot of posters and I have over the years received great advise from so many CCers.
I got lost the first few tries (using Chromebook). I had to make bookmarks to get to the Engineering threads and Parent Cafe.
I like others use the recent posts tab now.
I find that the chance me threads I avoided are part and parcel of the change.
I really believe they listened to the student feedback elsewhere and wanted to make it more kid centric and less parental. The quality of advice here was really equal in many ways to a paid counselor. Absolutely better than most overburdened GCs. Sad that the actual benefit will be lost to some degree. Free advice for many without the resources. Also a fun place to make online friends without the rancor of other media.
I’m sticking with it and still enjoy it, just to a lesser degree. Also the side bar interactions around law suits, scandals, trends, race and admissions practices outside of the current cycle of students was stellar.
If they meant to make CC more kid-centric, they failed. I don’t see anything like the kind of volume of posts from prospective students that I saw even last year. I check a couple of book marked forums and respond where I think I can be helpful but those threads are few. I was wondering when someone was going to highlight the Trackanalytics stats - I have been watching it and wondering how the site owners can be oblivious.
I agree. It’s just the focus style and points etc.
I think the feedback on harsh parents and a bunch of helicopter parents was misguided. The students and parents attracted here are a niche but a large and active one. The students who didn’t like it here most likely weren’t the real users or target. So they are stuck with a product and the audience didn’t show up.
They never really wanted to be here in the first place.
I said it before and really believe it. It’s the CC “new Coke” moment. The focus groups weren’t the loyal customers. Ignore these customers at your own peril.
I have no idea how to reach any of the sub forums… like alphabetic list of schools… totally hidden.
Totally less active in the past as i find it too difficult to post unless I am on our desk top. My gig is to sign in and then go to my bookmarks, then read one and go to parent cafe to browse down the list therefore seeing the new posts. It takes lots more time than in the past but going to newest posts has taken longer.
@thumper1 thanks, but how do you navigate the menu or links to find it?
I’m using an iPad.
I go to “Forums, Community Discussions” at the top left of my iPad screen open page. Click on that.
Then scroll down to “College Admissions and Search”. Click on that. Just scroll down and you will see most of what you are looking for.
If you are looking for professional schools, you would click on that instead of college admissions. You will see all the professional forums.
And if you want to read community forum stuff go there.
I think the thing people might be missing in terms of ease of navigation to places is having to click on that “Forums, Community Discussions” tab. If you don’t do that, you are not where you can navigate around.
And you need to be logged in to access your bookmarks, etc.
I’d be happy to ferret out links to forums for folks.
I think if you bookmark on your device…this…it will take you to the college admissions and search areas.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions-search/
Moderator’s Note: Please let’s not go down the shirt rabbit hole again. I deleted some posts relating to that. Feel free to continue the look and feel critique.
I’m feeling unfamiliar and frustrated with what used to be so familiar. Getting around CC is now more of a chore than a pleasure.
Maybe all of our great advice reached the rest of the world and they don’t need advice anymore 