Many of our counselors at Collegewise have a complex relationship with College Confidential, the online gathering place for college-bound students and even more often, their parents. At its best, it’s a place families can find helpful information and some camaraderie with other families going through the process. And we’ve certainly used it to get up-to-date admissions information—when admissions decisions are released from a particular college, someone on College Confidential is bound to post the update.
But it can also be an online breeding ground for namebranditis, anxiety, and bad advice. If you’re a College Confidential regular, check out The Prospect’s Do’s and Don’ts of College Confidential. And remember that much like medicine, law, and financial planning, it’s best to take admissions advice from people who really know what they’re talking about, like high school counselors, college admissions officers, and qualified private counselors.