this is so crazy.
the GCs at my school must be horrible, I have no explanation for this behavior.
My friend is ranked #4 in our class of 690, president of numerous school clubs, and has a score in the high 1300s for her SATs and her counselor told her yesterday that she decided not to send in a letter of rec. for her because she felt she wasn’t good enough to get into Johns Hopkins.
the same counselor didn’t send in half the letters of rec for another person I know.
Has anyone had any experiences like this?
And would the schools take the letter of rec late if there was an explanation on behalf of the GC?
<p>Yes - I have heard of this - but the GC has a responsibility to every student and has no real right to with-hold these recs with just cause - I would be taking this matter over his head big time - and quickly - something may be able to be salvaged.</p>
<p>The GC has EVERY right to determine which student merits a rec letter and which does not. If they just rubber stamped every rec letter for every student that asked for one it would diminish the meaning and would help no one.</p>
<p>Let me ask you this: Does a student with a 2.0 deserve a letter of recommendation as much as a 3.5 student? Obviously not. A line needs to be drawn and this GC has drawn his.</p>
<p>exilio, what's wrong with you? This GC isn't "drawing the line", she's sabotaging in an attempt to meddle where she has absolutely no goddamn right to. In choosing to refuse to write a rec instead of even writing a crappy one (which would also be sabotage, and stupid, but slightly more defensible because at least then the ass has to come up with a coherent written rationale for trashing this kid's chances), she's trying to stop a student from even applying somewhere.</p>
<p>This is ridiculous. Even ignoring the applicant's merits, the GC has NO RIGHT to decide where kids apply. The stupid cow can advise, but not deny the right to make an application.</p>
<p>That is so horrible...It is NOT the GC's place to decide if the student should be admitted to college...It is the COLLEGES decision, and your friend isn't even getting that chance.</p>
<p>Sometimes I'm a little unhappy my Guidance Office seems a bit apathetic, but hearing a story like that makes me happy to atleast have a reliable office to go to.</p>
<p>Sabotaging? Are you serious? Why don't you breath into the nearest paper bag before you hyperventilate.</p>
<p>The student may REQUEST a letter of recommendation, they are not entitled to have one. They must earn it. Now I know most kids nowadays are brought up in the tickle-me-elmo world where everyone gets a trophy and no one is a loser...but that isn't reality. That is parents dumbing down kids and kids enjoying the coddling.</p>
<p>Once again, I repeat this for emphasis...you are not the GC, it is the GC's prerogative to determine who does and does not get their letter of recommendation. </p>
<p>I letter written without consideration is worth less than the paper it is submitted on and a GC would lose their credibility. If this student is so wonderful, I am sure she will have no shortage of rec letters to include with her glowing application.</p>
<p>Now breath.</p>
<p>And to 'thethoughtprocess', </p>
<p>Perhaps you should recheck yours. No the GC doesn't decide who get sin and who doesn't. But they are well within their rights to decide who gets a rec letter and who doesn't. Get over yourselves people.</p>
<p>The In any rec the person writing should be honest. Truthfully if the GC doesn't think very much of you they can say so in the rec letter. With this being said the GC MUST send in the rec and if they don't think that a student is fit for a particular university, the university has the job to determine that for themselves. If the GC doesn't think the student is fit for a university, I'm sure that when they send in their rec, the person reviewing the application will be able to tell for themselves if the person is or is not right for that given university. </p>
<p>This is just ridiculous. It is the GC job to write and send out recs; its not a choice. That's like going to your job and just deciding that you didn't want to give a presentation to a big client. Gosh, that GC is terribly out of line and I certainly agree that the student should go over his/her head and get those recs out!</p>
<p>Finally, EXILIO- Have you noticed that pretty much every college you apply to REQUIRES a letter of rec from a GC. So then how does it become the GC's choice to grant a letter or not when its a requirement from the colleges. Finally, the letters of rec are supposed to be honest and evaluate the student as honestly as possible. With this being said if the GC doesn't think so much of the student, its their job to say so. This is why so many colleges REQUIRE the letter from the GC; they are counting on the GC to give as objective of a rec as possible and be as honest as possible about the student's academic potential.</p>
<p>You're an idiot if you think the GC's rec is required to be a recommendation in the traditional sense of the word. Obviously that's the tone everyone hopes for, but the GC's rec is a <em>required part of the application</em> that can be negative if the GC decides to be that much of an ass.</p>
<p>Perhaps you'd understand this simple distinction better if if was referred to as the GC's evaluation instead. That's what it really is... no one's saying the GC is required to write a glowing ode to every applicant. The lazyass is just required to fill out the bloody form. If she doesn't do that, she's not doing her job. The end. It's not about some pretentious garbage you pulled out of the last pop psych book you read about "promoting mediocrity" or entitlement, it's about doing her job and leaving the decisions to the people who are supposed to be making them--the student and the school. The end.</p>
<p>I don't think anyone ever said that the recommendation has to be good though thats the point of a letter of rec. They are required at my school to write recommendations.</p>
<p>Exilio: the job is of a guidance counselor is to help you to apply to college</p>
<p>If she/he feels strongly about the applicant, she/he should write an extremely horrible recommendation that will make it really hard for anyone to take the applicant seriously</p>
<p>However, just stopping the application from being sent at all is ridiculous.</p>
<p>"part of the GC's job is to write recommendations. Your friend should definately complain about that.
"</p>
<p>I agree. The GC doesn't have to write a glowing recommendation, but the GC should write some kind of recommendation. If the GC doesn't think the student should go to Hopkins, the GC could just write a letter repeating what's in the rest of the application: listing the classes, grades, clubs, ect., but not endorsing the student for admission.</p>
<p>BTW after I got into Harvard, one of my teachers said that she todl Harvard not to admit me. Clearly, that bad recc (from my govern't teacher, a subject that I planned to major in in college, and also was doing very well in h.s.) didn't hurt me.</p>
<p>I also once ran a journalism program for h.s. students, and a student told me that her journalism teacher wouldn't recommend her for the program because the student was "too nosey" and assertive. </p>
<p>That was exactly the type of student that we wanted in the program. I told the student that even though the program required a journalism teacher's recc, we'd accept her application without it. She as accepted to the program, which was very competitive, and now, about 10 years later, is a star young reporter at the major newspaper that ran the program.</p>
<p>I think exolio is confusing the difference between a teacher recommendation and a GC rec. A teacher CAN refuse to give a rec because the student can just go to another teacher. Usually, the student is assigned only one GC, so there's nowhere else to go. Also, the GC "recommendation", which really isn't or shouldn't be a recommendation, contains info such as GPA, class rank, which are requirements that are sometimes not available from any other sources. So if a GC refuses to fill out the form, then he/she is essentially denying him the right to apply to the school, which is wrong.</p>
<p>I agree with whoever said it first, I tend to think that a GC should write something, even if they don't endorse the student, they shouldn't keep a student from submitting an application. GC recommendations are BS anyways, mine doesn't even know my name, I don't know why schools require them.</p>
<p>yeah it was one of those forms the counselor fills out and writes a little about the student. like an evaluation. it wasn't a letter on her behalf really.</p>
<p>Oh, and to answer the original question, I have heard of something like this before. A friend of mine left high school after her junior year, and her school's GC and principal both refused to release her transcript for months, endangering her ability to attend college that fall. The next year, my friend applied as a transfer student and the same thing happened--they wouldn't release her transcript to the schools she'd applied to.</p>
<p>Exilio - You all are a bunch of primadonnas - YOU are way out of line here!!!!</p>
<p>The OP reads.......................
"" ranked #4 in our class of 690, president of numerous school clubs, and has a score in the high 1300s for her SATs""</p>
<p>"" counselor told her yesterday that she decided not to send in a letter of rec. for her because she felt she wasn't good enough to get into Johns Hopkins."" </p>
<p>This counselor is way out of line also - has no right to pre-determine who is 'good' enough to apply to any school - that is up to the student. Obviously this student has the standing and grades to apply to a school of this caliber. All the GC has to do fill out the standard form - a bunch of check marks - and if will not recommend then has to also justify why!!!!! - espeically to the student - but the GC has NO right to jepordize any student's potential - IF there is a reason - like broken rules/laws/suspensions/etc... then that may require other consideration - but this GC is acting like a control freak at the students expense!!!!! Because of this GC - this student's application is in-complete - good or bad - it is not reviewable for consideration!!!!! GC better have a real good explanation for these actions.</p>
<p>the same counselor didn't send in half the letters of rec for another person I know.</p>
<p>The GC has the responsibility to submit ALL recs submitted for a student - is obligated to do so - they have absolutely NO right to with-hold information of anothers rec's - under any circumstances!!!!! These students have the right to challange this GC's actions - and this GC had better be able to explain themselves - or the school committee should be contacted and needs to intercede in this situation.</p>
<p>EXILIO - entitlement??? Actually these students do have entitlement - they have every right to challange this GC and apply to the schools of their choices - YOU have no right to critisize their choices either - or the actions of the GC unless YOU are the GC in question here.</p>
<p>EXILIO - Let me ask you this: Does a student with a 2.0 deserve a letter of recommendation as much as a 3.5 student? Obviously not. A line needs to be drawn and this GC has drawn his.</p>
<p>Actually - yes they do deserve a letter of recommendation - just as the 3.5 student does!!!!! And who the heck are you to be the judge and jury also. The 2.0 student just may have done the best they could have - maybe their SAT scores are under 1000 but they still deserve the same opportunities as any other student who applies to college - maybe they won't get into Harvard - but there is a school out there for them just as well. And yes - the EXACT SAME rec form is required for that student also!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>holdencaufield2 yeah it was one of those forms the counselor fills out and writes a little about the student. like an evaluation. it wasn't a letter on her behalf really. </p>
<p>The form you are talking about is a requirment of the school - the GC only needs to indicate the info requested - where it asks if the GC would recommend this student - they can answer yes or no!!! and are usually asked why Y or N. This form is the basis of the high school record to the college. It is conformation that the student attended, is in good standing and verifies that the grades/scores/etc... are truthful and real. This GC has no LEGAL right to with hold this form - and is actually being negligent in the performance of their jobs - this student needs to address this issue with the head of the GC department, the school principal/head master or even to the school committee. If the application is still a valid one - not past a deadline - then this student should go forward and fight the battle to have this form submitted to the school.</p>
<p>These students may well be able to get the head of the GC department to sign these required form recs and get them on their way.</p>
<p>And with-holding the recs of others in the packet submitted is also negligent of this GC - If that be the case - these students should obtain these recs and submit them themselves to the appropriate schools. Recs should have been submitted to the guidance office for submission in a sealed envelope anyways!!!!!</p>
<p>Tell these students to go for what they want - it is still possible.</p>