<p>I’ve been an avid reader since summer 2004. I have a senior son. He is our first so I’ve truly enjoyed the wisdom that abounds on this forum. I finally joined and now will not only read and enjoy but will also ask and share from time to time.</p>
<p>I THINK it was fall 2003 - my brain cells fade by the day - when S was a jr and I needed National Merit info. I lurked more then. I’m getting more outspoken in my old age 
I really just happened on the site and have no idea how I found it - probably searching for National Merit Semifinalist or something.</p>
<p>I happened on this site about a year and half ago after my son was already happily ensconced in college. I had used brand X board during the application process with sometimes harrowing results. For some unfathomable reason, I never tuned in on CC even though we were satisfied customers of Dave Berrys counseling services. (Duh!)</p>
<p>Why stay? One, I am addicted to following the mini-soap operas that play out over a years time. Two, the regular posters are sincerely kind, helpful, funny and smart people and the ones who arent get trounced. Three, I like being the on-board honk (to steal TheDads phrase) for my sons school. Four, I really do feel I learned a lot going through The Process and would like to try to spare others some of the anxiety.</p>
<p>Five, and most importantly, graduate school looms. . .</p>
<p>Momofthree,
I can relate to the blank look when I respond to the question, “Where does your son go to college?”</p>
<p>Editrix, that was funny. In fact I’ve been smiling and laughing out loud all day as I read this thread along with the “how do you pronounce your name thread”.</p>
<p>I used to think I found CC while googling National Merit stuff. Then I decided maybe it was a search for a particular summer program. Then I decided I really didn’t have a clue about the original search topic and started feeling old and forgetful and sorry for myself, so I just quit thinking about it. </p>
<p>I started “reading” in early summer 2003 and I think my first post was in September 2003. I have a HS sophomore, so I’ve got a while yet to learn and forget stuff here.</p>
<p>I was told about CC in the fall of 2003 by a math student of mine who was waiting Stanford SCEA decision (rejected - 1600, 3x800). Turns out D had already found it and was lurking to get info about her ED school. Soon, we were both lurking, viewing all the 2004 soap operas in progress, including Aries’ law school app saga as my S had just completed that process. Now that D and her hs CC friends have moved on, she gave me permission to move from lurker to poster. I think I have some of the lingo down, so hope to fit in. Several current students confide in me regarding their college concerns, so I’ll keep reading and learning. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences and insights.</p>
<p>I’ve been here since Sept. '03, I believe. I don’t know how I got here! I think maybe I was googling for scholarships or something like that. I can’t believe how much I didn’t know, and I already had one in college. I didn’t know what the AMC was even though my son had taken it as a freshman in highschool. I didn’t know what AIME was, had never heard of RSI and so on. I found this board a very good place to get information about what was happening at various points during the process of applying and waiting (waiting, waiting. . .) I found support when there were some disappointments along the way. I got good advice more than once about how to handle situations that came up. I had fun telling my son when the UC notifications went online last year because of students who posted here. I found it fascinating to follow the stories of some of the frequent posters as they went through the process. Yup, became addicted. . .</p>
<p>Glad to hear that Twinkle received “solid” grades for her first semester.</p>
<p>I’m a PR board refugee (different board name). I used to check this board now and then 2-3 years ago and found it to lack give-and-take. After PR truly disintegrated (and their “new” set-up was installed), I looked here again and found it to be a much more heavily populated and more lively forum. So I’ve been around here for a little more than a year</p>
<p>Both of my kids are now out of college. Since I do college teaching for a living, I think I learn things that are relevant to my everyday life on CC. I try to comment mainly schools and issues that I know about from my own experience and (occasionally) research. I’ve been to/interacted with people from dozens and dozens of colleges, attended or worked at several, and my kids have been to colleges and made the college to work transitions, so I have some experience to draw on that I hope is helpful here.</p>
<p>Also a migrator from the PR board who lurked here occasionally but after PR disintegrated came here and found a “community”.</p>
<p>Came here last summer after my daughter had completed her college process. But I have a sophomore son and his will be more difficult. So I will NEED this site in the future as I fret and worry and over-analyze. My husband is surprised I am still here but I love to read the stories, worries, successes and how this community responds to posters.</p>
<p>Lurked on the old board for about a year before I got up the nerve to sign on to the new board. I catch up each evening while H watches “Law and Order” in the next room, just like two toddlers who parallel play.</p>
<p>Twinmom, toddler parallel play… I remember that from so long ago…lol that you used it to describe you and your H… and so true with me and mine!</p>
<p>Maize&Blue, can you go over to the user name thread and explain your’s? (Or maybe you did and I missed it?)</p>
<p>I heard about CC from Ellemenope. She kept telling me the stories of some of the kids and some of what she learned and how it might apply to our D. D1 is now in college, but I’m addicted and still read the site under the excuse that D2 will be applying soon - yeah, in four more years.</p>
<p>I looked at the PR site last year and thought it was dreadful - an example of the folly of no or under- moderation. I backed out of there and never went back.</p>
<p>this may be the most pathetic excuse for becoming a CCholic …</p>
<p>I started in the forum in the fall of 2003 when my boss’s child was looking into colleges even though none of my kids were even in high school yet. I googled a couple questions for her and found CC and got addicted. I actually think reading about the various issues without my kids being in the middle of living the issues yet is an advantage … I can step back and consider the viewpoints without being attached to a point of view yet.</p>
<p>Too late to help with my son’s applications, timely enough to help with his selection of acceptances.</p>