<p>My favorite part of CC is where we give each other advice, fill in the blanks that really need an "insider" view- or where we can learn how someone else dealt with a pothole.
Reading thru the posts, I have to wonder if high schools still have college counselors. Eg, comments that "We won't qualify for finaid because both parents work." (It's based on income and expenses; there are standard forms to fill out and worksheets which give you a preview of the expected famiy contribution.) Or, "How do I find out whether my first choice offers scholarships?" (Their web site is a good start.) Or, "When do I take the SAT so scores are reported by the deadline?" (See Collegeboard.com, the same place you register for the tests.) Or, "Can someone name a top state university? (See your favorite search engine for links to the reports.) Or, "Can someone name a safety?" Or, questions about whom and when to ask for reference letters, etc.</p>
<p>I'm just surprised how many kids don't seem to be getting basic info at school.
So, anyone want to comment on the state of college counseling?</p>
<p>We live in a town of about 35,000 people. It has five high schools and three private schools. The counselors are there to deal with testing and scheduling, and their advice in those areas are never beneficial, so parents have to understand the system, what the child needs to graduate, and what opportunities are available to students, and they have to be the college counselors for their children.</p>
<p>My daughter attends a competitive career based magnet school that proudly boasts a 99% college attendance rate, USNews and Texas Monthy rankings, so imagine my surprise that not only can she not get any help from her counselor (wouldn’t schedule a conference with us so we could get a better understanding of the application process, won’t answer email questions, won’t return phone calls) she is making it down right difficult! D submitted Counselor Rec form 8 weeks ago and the University still has not received it - and of coarse the GC won’t answer either my or D’s calls/emails. I am very close to calling the principal, but hesitate because my S is a Jr (and not as stong academically as D) and I don’t want cause problems for him. </p>
<p>If it had not been for CC, I don’t know what we would have done!</p>
<p>No, because I don’t have one, per se. My guidance counselor is overworked because she has a caseload of about 120 other seniors applying to colleges.</p>
<p>I had a conversation with a college coach over the summer, and that definitely put me in the right direction in terms of really understanding what colleges are looking for and what kind of paths I should consider for my ultimate goals. So, that was helpful, but when it comes to getting the inside scoop on schools I rely on my older friends. They’re spread all over the country at schools ranging from Harvard to NYU to SDSU to Mount Holyoke and everything in between. They give me info a college counselor could never share.</p>
<p>We have two college counselors for a senior class of 1200. She’s not particularly helpful; I’ve learned much more from CC. I scheduled an appointment with her a month ago, and still haven’t had it yet. ._.</p>