<p>Someone on one of my vacation planning discussion boards mentioned this site was for “high achievers who get lots of scholarships.” Well, I thought I had a high-achiever, so I checked it out. </p>
<p>What a wake-up call! Not only is my kid merely “above average,” but all that money we’ve been saving won’t be enough, and we won’t qualify for FA. Crud.</p>
<p>That epiphany was 18 months ago, April of Son’s 10th grade. Boy, this site has been a godsend. </p>
<p>I check CC off-and-on during my work day and evenings at home.</p>
<p>I found CC in January of 07 when I was preparing to fill out the FAFSA for the first time - I probably googled something like “FAFSA Tips” or “Questions about FAFSA”. Still here enjoying info for my now Junior D and still looking for info for my now HS Senior S. There’s a third a few years behind so I imagine I’ll turn grey here…!</p>
<p>I do peek in at work for quick diversions and check in at my lunch since I usually lunch at my desk. Check on and off at home between mom duties. I have come to enjoy the not-college info (parent cafe) as much as the college info.</p>
<p>A couple of friends suggested the site a couple years ago. At the time, I had a HS sophomore who only did the schoolwork that he was interested in-- bombed most of the busy work. </p>
<p>Got a lot of good, really helpful college tidbits over the years.
Love the humor, the care and support, and entertainment value from some of the threads.</p>
<p>Surprisingly enough, the most important, helpful information has been concerning medical and dental issues! I’ve posted several ‘what do we do now’ threads in the middle of the night and got great feedback.</p>
<p>I thought of another reason I post here. At least on the 2010 thread, we use this venue to vent and work out our anxiety with like-minded people so that we don’t burden our seniors/families/IRL friends. I don’t share some of the info I do on here with IRL friends.</p>
<p>I came here by google search also - it was about AP test prep, I think. I check in on CC from home whenever I have some free time (usually morning, late afternoon, or late at night). I have learned so much, not only about colleges, but other high schools around the country. (Who knew people went to boarding school? Not me!). I keep coming here because I have 2 more in high school and much more to learn. I don’t make friends online, and while I will post a response or opinion on a thread, I do not get drawn into the long arguments that go on.</p>
<p>I think I also come for the entertainment. I don’t have a child at American, but the AU parents’ thread is fun to read. We are not seeking Ivy league admission; my kids go to our suburban public school, are not stressed about their test scores, and would never post here themselves. They are much calmer about the process than I am, so it is good I can read here to learn and leave them unburdened with my anxiety!</p>
<p>After googling SSAT (admission test for boarding school), I came here when to further research boarding schools for D last year, who is now pretty happy as freshman at LARGE public suburban HS. I stayed away for months. Now S is HS senior and CC is very helpful. Have been checking the parents threads and the school threads where S is applying. Our high school has only one year of admission results in Naviance, so I feel CC has a lot more data points, so to speak. </p>
<p>I work part-time from home, so I leave CC open on home computer, then walk over to work computer and do work. I enjoy some of the arguments, but chime in only rarely. Like others, I have enough anxiety at home about S and D, both in high school. CC will be a “Favorite” for a few more years.</p>
<p>Found CC after D was stranded without a school after hurricane Katrina. (For fun, try finding a new school in ONE WEEK). Anyhooo, I lurked after that for a while and then started posting. I generally browse while I am “on hold” at the office or watching television at night.</p>
<p>Collegeboard had no Musical Theatre schools listed so I found CC googling for it. What a gold mine. That was some time ago & since then I’ve had my youngest also start college. The reason I keep coming back is that it’s one of the only sites they haven’t blocked at work! I need an escape once in a while…on my lunch break, of course! ;)</p>
<p>I came here because a friend of mine from an AOL board sent me here years ago. (Former format). My kids were too young then to get sucked in then, but I found the place again when oldest was a junior. I’m a sole practitioner architect working from a home office and it gets lonely, so I end up checking in way too often, especially when work is slow.</p>
<p>Back in 2000 I tried the old PR board (which I believe is the one mentioned earlier by others as deteriorating into madness- “hope this helps” “TTT” any one?)</p>
<p>I found CC but it was tiny with a short list of categories and not very busy on posting, by the time the next kid came along, PR was off the list and CC was full of wonderful and amusing posters.</p>
<p>I know have one doing a PhD, one applying for medical school and one university senior. I have appreciated all the amusements, the fun comments, the supportive atmosphere of the parent board, the things I learned that completely changed our family’s focus in choosing university FIT for D2/D3. </p>
<p>I also like hearing the thoughts & opinions & attitudes of people with varied life experiences, whether they agree or disagree with me, and perhaps especially when they disagree, I like understanding how they came to their opinions.</p>
<p>Many parents or students have posted personal issues and problems and have had long threads results, allowing all of us to think about how we handle issues- from tattoos, to BF-GF break-ups, to kids dropping out, etc and to hear how others handle the issues in their families. I believe it brings clarity to all of us as we evaluate what we do and why and provide a valuable resource, too. Sometimes when a kid is struggling one may appreciate the anonymity of a forum rather than talking to friends & family who may never forget the negatives you expressed about your child!</p>
<p>I don’t remember how I found this board cause it was over 5 years ago when son was a junior in college. I lurked for months before I started posting…and got hooked.
I’m usually in the Parent Cafe now, and find most folks to be friendly and really helpful. I’ve gotten all sorts of great tips on travel, diets, shopping, even fashion. I sometimes post on the board of my son’s school, usually with some advice. And I love to argue about public vs private (just kidding!).<br>
I work mostly from home, and do lots of writing…so I jump on when I’m bored or slow. I find it very addictive…but in a good way. Lots of nice folks!</p>
<p>I found this board via a post on the parents’ forum on my other favorite online community, gardenweb (hope it’s ok to post the name). I initially came searching for financial aid information when DS1 was a high school junior. Wow did I get an education. I’ve found CC to be invaluable and so appreciate all the posters who take time to share their knowledge, both on the boards and in private messages. </p>
<p>I keep the page open and check throughout the day when I’m not at work.</p>
<p>I occasionally cut & paste information or funny items to pass on to other parents who have kids at my sons’ high school, but I try to keep that to a minimum. Some people simply aren’t as obsessed interested in the process as I am.</p>
<p>I found CC last year doing Boarding School research for son. </p>
<p>I now come on under a different user name to help my niece thru the college search process.</p>
<p>Initially CC terrified me with so many over-achievers. Yes my high IQ kid is a real slacker in comparison. It has been a great reality check for us.</p>
<p>I stop in during lunch time at work & while watching TV at home. </p>
<p>Add me to the ones searching for NMSF cutoff scores. D1 now in college, S1 a HS Jr and D2 a HS Fr. Each has very different priorities, so it’ll be interesting…</p>
<p>I found CC (the old format) when living in Germany, trying to figure out what S2 should wear for his college auditions. No music board then, but the theater folk helped me out. </p>
<p>CC then went on to help me through D’s college search process a few years later (while still in Germany, no PSAT, not on any college mailing lists, no counselor available, and unable to visit anywhere). S2 is now in his last year of grad school, and D is a college junior.</p>
<p>My home office faces the front of the house, so I can sit here on the computer while waiting for piano students to arrive. Many of my hobbies and avocations use the computer (genealogy, freelance writing) so I jump between forums when I’m needing a brain break. I am here less often than I used to be. My need for info has decreased, and my ability to help others is also lessening. My info is now “old” and there are those who are much more current.</p>
<p>But I have made many friends on here, and have met quite a handful in person. My favorite story is when my D was walking across her campus, and a friend (a year younger) called out to her. “I want you to meet my parents.” Then she turned to her parents and said, “This is binx’s daughter.” She told my D that her mom was a lurker who followed all my posts about D, because her D was so similar. And that her D is at my D’s school largely because of me! And they ended up being friends.</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure if my D would be embarrassed by that, but my D thought it was cool.</p>
<p>Came here via Google search too, but forgot what it was for—something college related, no doubt. D was a HS senior at the time.</p>
<p>I’ve actually changed my user name from the original. It was too revealing and I started to feel uncomfortable, especially since I’ve shared information about my family. Not because of anything that happened specifically though.</p>
<p>I like the general chitchat over at the parents cafe because I am a “sole proprietor”, working at home, and I miss all the informal cooler talk at the office. Also, I’ve learned a lot about just about everything, not just the college process. People are very generous with their knowledge here.</p>
<p>btw, what is the alley? (Someone mentions it on the first page.)</p>
<p>oldfort, this made me laugh! How do you know when your name is mentioned if you put the phone on mute? I wonder how many of the others are doing the same thing?</p>
<p>Can’t remember why I first got on CC summer before kid #1’s senior year. (Curse that day!)</p>
<p>I’ve wasted countless hours on here–just to hear intelligent (most of the time) adults discussing all kinds of things. There is usually a laugh or two here and there. CC has given me a sense of stability during some of life’s upheavals. I haven’t met any posters in real life, but many screen names are familiar to me, and I have a sense of certain personalities out there.</p>
<p>Kid#1 is now a senior in college, #2 is a freshman. My youngest (#7) starts kindergarten next year. I’m at home. Avoiding housework…</p>
<p>I can quit any time I want to. I just don’t want to.
I find CC so addictive, I give it up for Lent every year!</p>
<p>Sinners Alley is a thread on CC that is almost like a forum within a forum - a virtual bar where folks drink virtual drinks, wear virtual lampshades, and carry on about marmots real and otherwise. I’ve ventured in a time or two, but never quite connected. I peek in the windows sometimes, though. There are some regular fixtures there.</p>
<p>Google searching for something (can’t remember what now). For me, it is great to connect with others who have kids in college. I worked for many years after being a SAHM when my kids were infants/preschoolers. Lots of moms in my community never went back to work after their kids were born. They have HS/college kids but don’t work. I don’t really connect with them due to time issues. DH gets tired of me talking about kids/college/issues with kids in college. Nice to have a place to share information and vent.</p>