Why College Confidential Works

Last year I was asked to represent the University of Rochester on College Confidential, a website dedicated to the college search process.  It was explained to me that my primary responsibility would be to participate in the College Confidential discussion boards, a responsibility that I accepted somewhat reluctantly.  Like many of my colleagues, I feared that social media would continue to muddle what was once a fairly clear distinction between my personal and professional voice – and the truth is that it has, though not as I had imagined it would.

What I have learned to love about College Confidential is the honest and open discussion that it promotes.   I know that the process of applying to college has become increasingly more stressful, in part because we as Admissions Counselors have done a poor job of letting you in on the details of the process – how an application is processed, for example, or why one decision and not another.  On College Confidential, I get to answer these questions and lend some transparency to the process, and there is something incredibly gratifying in that.

Perhaps College Confidential is as successful as it is because of the relatively anonymity of the individuals that choose to participate in the discussion.  Whatever the reason, students and parents aren’t afraid to ask challenging questions, and I’m not afraid to answer them honestly.  My hope is that the discussions we have during information sessions, interviews, and phone calls will begin to be as open and honest.  Until that time, you should consider checking out the University of Rochester threads on College Confidential:    http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-rochester/

Enjoy!