“Can a thread be annoying if you never look at it?”
nope. 
If a tree falls…?
After your youngest goes away to college you may realize that you are not that interested about college admissions any more. Then you will discover these other threads…
Annoying are the ones that seem to scream “made ya look! Made ya look!” Like the ones with the annoying , over the top titles all in caps without a clear indication of what the thread is about. Also annoying are the ones that are filled with irrelevant, ancient and often erroneous information. This isn’t just annoying, it borders on dangerous to perhaps the newer, unsuspecting reader who might think the comment in the post is current and meaningful. Caveat emptor, so it seems.
Another annoying type of thread:
“It doesn’t matter how enormously generous the financial aid package/scholarship is, I don’t want to borrow anything, not even one cent, for an amazing college education (that some people are paying $60k+/year for).”
I agree people shouldn’t go into stupid debt for college, but some people don’t seem to think they should have to pay anything…As a family that received A LOT of financial assistance (gift aid) but also had to take some student and parent loans, I don’t get it.
Well I am unapologetically one of those parents. We aren’t borrowing a dime. D has great options where she will receive merit aid so why should we apply to schools that would require borrowing just because?
You aren’t borrowing, but you are probably paying something. If you are able to get a complete full ride- congrats! But the entitled posters, who think they “deserve” to go to the top schools on someone else’s nickel are, I think, to whom @3rdXsTheCharm is referring.
Yes, @jym626 that’s precisely whom I’m talking about. I don’t really mean people who are unwilling to borrow, I mean people who are unwilling to spend any of their own money for tuition, room, and board. (Which if you legitimately have no money means borrowing something.) Getting the best scholarships possible and paying what you can from current income and savings clearly makes the most sense.
You are judging too harshly a family of 4 in Illinois that makes 36k/year.
What if they are immigrants from a country where college is free and the system of credit does not exist? This idea of borrowing and especially for education may be foreign to them. In some places kids do not work - going to school and study is their job. Not everyone is so well-versed in the economics of higher education so this concept of “going to top schools on someone else’s nickel” probably does not cross their mind. It is probably more like “why should I pay for something that should be free”.
Threads where posters proclaim ONE correct path for education expenses that should be followed by every family.
A family of 4 living on $34K per year should not pay a dime for college if their child is a decent student, whether it be CC, an Ivy or other true “meets needs” schools, or a state school. In the case of a state school, it would not be wildly unreasonable of the system to require the kid to do the first 2 yrs at CC, unless they are a top student, in which case they should go to the state flagship, or at least a directional, for free. That’s what state schools are for.
But at the same time, it is reasonable to expect the STUDENT to earn a couple thousand per year towards expenses, unless the family situation is so dire that any $$ they earn must go towards the family living expenses. I’d say that $34K per year qualifies.
S had a friend at Dartmouth who had to send part of his stipend to his mother to keep her afloat. He had to take at least one leave of absence to work and help her. These are people our nation should be investing in.
Threads where a student states that s/he is missing one or more of the requirements for admission and asks if s/he can still be accepted.
^^ In fairness, at some schools the stated requirements are “soft” requirements. (For a concrete example, there was a discussion recently in the University of Alabama forum asking about UA’s stated requirement of four years of social studies—which is apparently required for Alabama high school graduation, but certainly not by all states—and there were examples given of applicants from other states being admitted without satisfying that one.)
Threads where a poster simply gives incorrect information, other posters are kind enough to correct them, yet the poster who supplied the incorrect info just doubles down like nothing was wrong.
Or jumps on the posters who corrected.
You know my saying re: how some process: “I think it so it must be true. I read it somewhere, so it is.”
Or just engages in pure speculation. I once provided a fact that contradicted a fairly ridiculous piece of speculation and another adult poster agreed with the factual statement; we were both told that we “had no right to crush [her] dreams” and that it was essentially pretty much evil to tell her that she had no hope etc, etc. I’ve given up responding to student posters unless it is a compliment, congratulations or happens to be an answer that will make them happy.
One exception – I know it’s been said before, but I’m so sick of the “I know they ask for all test scores, but will they know if I have them deleted?” or similar “I want to lie, tell me I won’t get caught” (with optional lame “loophole” or rationalization for said lie) threads. I’ll post to back up others calling out unethical behavior – I don’t mind crushing those dreams (in a firm, but polite way).
Uh-oh. An admonishment against crushing dreams’ appeared on this thread, too.
@lookingforward There is a difference between a dream and a fantasy.
People who give medical advice without the “I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night” disclaimer. <:-P
Threads where posters blatantly are marketing for their school. If it happened once, that would be understood. But when it happens so often one has to wonder if they are being paid to do so?