@zzzmmm, then please report the posts. You have never submitted a report.
I like the directness here. I’m a mom and when I first arrived back at CC in my innocent days (7 months ago), i thought my D was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I still think she’s the best (!) but now I understand that she (like me) is not a king but a prince among princes. 
I’d rather understand that now than be the parent who’s all, “how could my kid NOT get into the Ivies!”
@sarahelicox, you never answered my question: “I AM baffled, OP, because I looked at every one of the threads you started, and I see only courteous, thoughtful responses to your questions. Which posts did you think were condescending?”
I think there’s a fine line between directness and condescension. Some people may interpret direct and often blunt responses differently and see it as rude or condescending. Responses, especially nonconstructive are more likely to be interpreted as condescending and rude then just being direct.
Let me quote you:
“When you ask, “Can I get into this school?” and someone answers, “Not with that GPA!” that is direct”
You are right, the response is direct and to the point. I personally dont think its a big deal but I can see how other people could interpret it as condescending and maybe rude. Punctuation can greatly influence how words are interpreted.
If I asked the same question and received that response, I would agree that it is direct. But its also nonconstructive. A small explanation would be nice. Nobody is obligated to provide one but I think people would appreciate it more than the former.
I also dont think that sugar coating everything is condescending. Its just terribly misleading.
now, im going to write myself a disclaimer
DISCLAIMER: Im just stating my opinion. Not trying to bust anyone’s balls.
@sarahelicox has started a couple of threads since she started this one, and users have been polite and helpful.
I often see answers that are little more than put downs, and they should be ignored. A public forum is just that–public–and it requires that you gird your loins before entering the arena.
im mainly basing this off of the claims of other users who have posted in the thread, but I’d like to add that I think its great that people/students are asking questions. Some of them may be easily found through a google search but the response shouldn’t be so negative or harsh. The college process can be very confusing to follow sometimes. It was extremely confusing for me (financial aid terminology, credit hours, etc). I took it all literally and confused the hell out of myself. Good for everyone else for taking initiative and trying to understand the system better rather than asking their parents to do all the work. That might explain why the negative backlash is coming from parents (if thats true).
I’ve been a long time lurker and I do remember seeing this type of stuff a lot.
It was the OP’s use of the pronoun “I” that confused me, because I can’t see any replies to her that were condescending.