<p>Well, I have had a few problems with my counselor over the past couple of weeks. I didn't know anyone else to go to so I talked to my teacher about it. My teacher confronted her and the counselor flat out said I frustrated her...</p>
<p>However, before this incident, she liked my a lot.</p>
<p>If she writes a bad rec will this be a really bad part of my application?
My teacher recs are amazing (I have "Best student in my career" for almost all of the categories from 2 different teachers)</p>
<p>Well I complained about the guidence office to my teacher on how they take forever to fill out one recommendation. I guess my teacher told her that. I think my counselor took it out of context and thought of it as a personal attack on her. I apologized to her if she was hurt by it and was very mature on how I approached the situation. It was nothing big, just something I said out of frustration.</p>
<p>I am somewhat concerned about that issue as well. Here is my incident -</p>
<p>Before Christmas, I got called up to my guidance counselor's office about some oratorical contest for a $5000 scholarship, and if I applied, I had a very good chance at winning it because of my past experience with oratorical contests. The topic was on Martin Luther King, Jr., racism, et cetera. So, I was said, "Cool. I can do this." However, as I read through, it was an extremely religious scholarship directed at Baptist students. In fact, the form asked for your church name, church phone number, et cetera. The oratical contest was to be held in a southern, black, baptist church. Now let me tell you something about myself - I am a middle-class, white atheist. This amount of religion was consuming! So, I politely turned down the scholarship since it was obvious an atheist could not win anyhow. I am not going to waste my time. My guidance counselor became furious upon finding out that I am an atheist. She became frustrated at the fact that anyone could NOT believe in her deity. I don't believe she likes me very much anymore. I used to be her star student, but those days have come and gone. By the way, she has a PhD. in Spiritual Counseling I came to find out.</p>
<p>My college recs may be jeopardized next year in the face of discrimination. I love southern, religious fundamentalism.</p>
<p>^^ Wow that is awful. I am an atheist in a christian school, so I can relate. I hate that the counselor has so much power! I mean they could just "forget" to send some vital component to your application.</p>
<p>Don't worry about it; it was a local scholarship only for my school and the deadline is over. Scholarship hunting? :P Don't worry; I don't blame you! :P</p>
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<p>@ darnfancylettuce</p>
<p>Yeah, I just can't wait next year for mine to screw me over when I apply to Duke. It will be a blast! Gotta love religion, eh? It just KILLS me every time.</p>
<p>Since your teacher seems to understand your predicament, have him or her mention the fact that your counselor essentially discriminated against you due to religious beliefs (a BIG no-no to colleges). Your teacher rec could definitely help. If your teacher can't or won't explain it, you may have to do so yourself, which won't be as effective, but may cause the college to look into it more.</p>
<p>Finally, I would say maybe try and see if someone else could write it. Could your principal give you a rec? Maybe you could request a different counselor? Do your best to overcome this blatant discrimination!</p>
<p>@ Bashi- I would schedule an appointment with your counselor and ask her what she feels she would have to disclose in a recommendation. If she doesn't want to talk about specific issues, ask if she feels she can write a flattering rec. If she can't, maybe she could suggest another counselor or administrator who could write the letter. At my school, it is standard for a student to give the counselor permission to speak with three teachers and they use these teachers' comments as part of the basis of the recommendation. Perhaps, you could get permission from a teacher and from your counselor so that they could speak together and the counselor could add in positive things from this teacher. I think as long as you have scheduled an appointment and spoken to her about the "incident", one frustrated comment won't overshadow 3-4 years of hard work. I'm assuming the counselor's office is probably overloaded right now, so she may have been just as frustrated when she talked with the teacher who confronted her. Give her some time to cool off. Many times teachers/counselors seem more annoyed with you than the actually are.</p>
<p>Well then, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If your other recs are that great, I am sure they will notice the anomaly. If you are really worried, you could send a supplement rec to some of the schools that are more open to them.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Well I complained about the guidence office to my teacher on how they take forever to fill out one recommendation. I guess my teacher told her that. I think my counselor took it out of context and thought of it as a personal attack on her.
[/quote]
You've learned a valuable if expensive lesson. The teaching staff is there for the long haul. Your HS had teachers before you showed up, they'll still be teachers there long after you're gone. Individual teachers come and go, but the teaching staff as a whole is still there. So who do you think they see as their peer group, who do they owe their allegiance to? HS kids or fellow staffers?</p>
<p>I imagine your teacher relayed your conversation along the lines of "can you believe what these self-indulgent brats say?" You should also bet your teacher is wondering what you say about HER when she's not around. You didn't make any friends that day, and the damage is done. An apology helps, but anyone but a fool would understand they got a window into your true thinking. The repercussions aren't just what was written on paper, although I doubt it was very flattering, but what might be said off the record if schools call and talk to the counselor. A not uncommon occurence, I might add.</p>
<p>My understanding is the counselor rec's function is mainly to talk about the classes you have taken within the context of your school, any special circumstances, behavioral problems/action, etc. Anything else is extra. The real personality-type information should come through in the teacher recs. Colleges are used to dealing with larger schools, they will see you have 700 students in your grade, and I think the will be understanding.</p>
<p>Oh, sorry, my post was in response to someone who asked if a neutral rec from a counselor who didn't know her personally would affect her application negatively, considering there are 700 students in her class. I don't see that post now, so maybe it was deleted or I messed up and posted in the wrong place.</p>