<p>When I first came on this board, I sent out a couple of questions for advice which were extremely challenging (e.g., the issue of a gap year which at that time was considered almost unheard of for a music major-to-be). The responses I got were sometimes diametrically opposed to one another. While this made my job harder in some ways, but it also helped to clarify issues for me (and hopefully for others). I really, really appreciated the degree to which the wise contributors to this forum many of whom had a good deal more experience than I, were willing to chew over an issue and give a candid judgment while not judging each other. It helped my family make some very tough decisions and it turned out that we made them pretty well. </p>
<p>If any of those threads had gone negative, angry, etc, it would definitely not have been helpful. It is sometimes difficult to keep disagreements civil, but it is really important here. I am so thankful for this forum and know that it will help many into the future.</p>