<p>I joined here sometime last fall, in the midst of my daughter’s college application process.
I agree with the poster a couple of pages back with regard to not driving family members nuts during the whole thing.</p>
<p>I have also found some very useful info on topics ranging from scholarships, thank you notes and recipes to teen issues 
Also, when the acceptance emails and letters started pouring in to the students that post here, I was able to alert my anxious daughter.</p>
<p>D thinks I am completely weird for being on here! </p>
<p>The truth is there are so many knowledgeable parents on this whole college process, very helpful for us newbies. I should get it right by the 4th child.</p>
<p>I do find it amusing when D’s friends ask a college question and D says ask my mother!! The truth is CC has turned out to be the best guidance counselor.</p>
<p>In addition there are some incredibly talented writers, and there is always a great dose of humor when you desperately need it.</p>
<p>Well, if all the clueless high schoolers come on here to post their questions, who’s gonna answer 'em? The other clueless high schoolers? Someone over 18’s gotta run this madhouse, and it’s too big a job for just the admins! ;)</p>
<p>(I’m not even a parent yet, either. I came here because one of the kids I mentor mentioned a thread she saw and wanted my opinion on it. I subsequently found that I had even more opinions… My friends think I’m weird, and whenever I’m online and typing, my husband asks, “Is someone on the Internet wrong again?”)</p>
<p>There are internet forums about EVERYTHING. I have a friend whose husband spends hours on a Mustang-restoration discussion board.</p>
<p>Nearly all of these places have a “Community Room,” “Cafe,” etc where we can chat about anything. I love it.</p>
<p>And some of these posts have really made me LOL ! :D</p>
<p>Why?
All of the above. :D</p>
<p>
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<p>I agree; I tried many times to get my kids to come here early on in each of their college processes, but they wouldn’t. So I continued to follow the boards as both my kids went through the application process. I think they realize that much of what I learned was of a major benefit to them, but just haven’t taken the time to connect the dots that most of it originated from CC.</p>
<p>I’ve tried to explain to them many times the Parent’s Cafe, and I think if they took ten minutes to explore it, they’d understand my continuing participation.</p>
<p>jym626 - well, compared to some other websites I visit, respectful political dialogue was the most descriptive term I could come up with. :D</p>
<p>"well, I got 10 slaps with a wet noodle from my daughter tonight for being weird and strange that I still come here. She made it sound like I’m pathetic; while I used to take the kidding in jest, "</p>
<p>Explain to her that you’ve been helping to educate and inform parents in other parts of the countries. The links you provided me yesterday were very helpful. You’re providing a service and, if not you, then who?</p>
<p>“someone over 18’s gotta run this madhouse”. LOL. I love it.<br>
I can’t even remember how I first found CC a few months ago, but I am firmly ensconced in the “addicts” corner! I only wish I had found all you wise folks when I was going through this with D a few years ago. But S. will profit from all the pearls of wisdom I’m learning here. And I <em>do</em> try not to go overboard on “guess what I learned on CC today” and “I found a great thread on college XYZ on CC today” etc., etc.</p>
<p>my son rolls his eyes when I inadvertently mention that “I read on cc…” but with son '08 and daughter '09–I have more reasons than I can list for my cc (my kids call it crack cocaine) addiction. helps me to sleep at night to know I have been able to ask my ?'s to those in the know–and now enjoy sharing some of my own insights…heck we are the moms that invented playgroups–and taking you guys to the playground was merely a side benefit… ;-D</p>
<p>How true, lindz126. I think the moms had more fun going to the playgroups than the kids did, because of the connection with the other moms. This was before emailing, AIM, the internet (for most people, anyway) and cell phones. There were only three ways to be connected – landline telephone, in person and by snail mail.</p>
<p>Now, many of us have discovered the pleasures of being able to “talk” to other people at times that are convenient to us and about subjects that we can’t necessarily find someone IRL to talk about with. How very nice it is.</p>
<p>Not only do I still read CC now that my kids have GRADUATED from college… but I participate.</p>
<p>Why? Well, I hang around for the intelligent group that cares enough to debate politics–mostly politely–and the advice (gardening and other) but also because… now and then I dispense a little college advice AND SOMEONE LISTENS TO ME!</p>
<p>No one ever listens to me IRL!</p>
<p>I have found it very calming and healing after going through the SAT IIs/college search/college visits/college apps/acceptances/decision
with my DS.</p>
<p>I wish I knew about sooner…like before getting pregnant.</p>
<p>I found my way here when trying to find out what the NMSF cutoff was for my state, since my HS freshman took the PSAT and got a 231 on it last October. </p>
<p>I hung around because it looked to be a good place to learn, and it has been! Because of CC, I’ve learned a lot about financial aid. Better to learn some of this now, when I have an opportunity to change the way I do some things, than to learn it after doing something boneheaded that has a negative financial repercussion and, possibly, prevents my kid from going to a college to which he would like to go.</p>
<p>I’ve also learned a lot about SAT IIs, which I don’t remember from the Jurassic age, which is when I went to high school. And ACTs. And different colleges, and books to read on colleges, and books to read on financial aid, and about ECs, and how absolutely insane some parents are about their kids going to (<em>cough cough</em>) certain schools. I’ve also gotten ideas for ways to share the cost of college with the student, how an exspouse can help or hurt the process, and how kind people can be toward students not their own.</p>
<p>Should my S ever start reading here, I’ll gladly bow out, but until then, I’ll be here learning, opining, and being my disagreeable online self!</p>
<p>gladmom–we did have more fun at playgroups–it maintained our sanity in much the same way as cc does–harder to find like minded parents irl to share concerns etc. Also can be awkward talking to local friends/neighbors if other student is failing classes, didn’t take the SAT and is going to community college (maybe) by default–they do not get that there are kids (like ons on here) who are excited to learn, dream, set goals and achieve and are focused on getting the best education for them–sometimes our kids are seen as the oddballs–so nice to find a place where this is not the case</p>
<p>My husband used to think I was strange posting here until he found a “triples forum” all about Triumph Trident motorcycles.</p>
<p>Isn’t the OP on these boards himself or herself? Apparently, yes. Maybe he or she can ask himself or herself why. :)</p>
<p>NMR - I think the OP is a high school student, and am basing this speculation on the fact that they did not use capitalizations in post (I can’t recall one adult on CC that doesn’t use capitalizations at least part of the time), and posts in other forums that suggest he/she is in high school.</p>
<p>But welcome back to the Parents Cafe… stay for a while!</p>
<p>^True. Students don’t use capitals; new-to-the-internet adults use ALL CAPS. ;)</p>
<p>teriwtt, thanks for the answer and the welcome to the non-musical-theatre-oriented part of cc!</p>
<p>that explanation at least makes sense. </p>
<p>(Sorry. Just couldn’t resist.) :)</p>
<p>like owlice, i came looking for NMSF information and stayed because i found a great source of college search advice, delivered with intelligence, compassion and humor.</p>
<p>i’ve also stayed to support LatetoSchool, to learn about great parenting from BayAreaDad, and because I can’t wait to hear how MomofWildCHild’s D’s wedding saga ends!</p>