<p>My daughter graduated from a large high school. She already had to fight tooth and nail to get recommendations last year. Most kids there just go to state university and not much is needed. But my daughter was applying for state U with honors programs, all which required separate uploads. And private schools, and one private university with honors programs.</p>
<p>Thing is, my husband really wants her to start from scratch. Last year was awful. Her common app got messed up. She did not really apply to out of state schools which might have given her aid she really needed, which is for the best because her common app was awful. She applied to a couple out of state schools and did not get in. But when we looked at what she submitted, it was awful anyway. Half uploaded essays, missing answers, etc. I heard that was a common problem last year. But I think she perhaps dropped the ball by not printing off the app before submitting. Doesn't matter, cannot go back in time.</p>
<p>But, my husband really wants her to make a new effort and move forward with schools she once liked, but never applied to. However, she has called and emailed the school counselor to get the counselor recommendation and she has not answered. I also called and emailed and also got no answer. This is very typical of them. Last year, daughter could not get any help. Finally, at one point, I was able to talk t the counselor who only answered with "nothing wrong with community college, I went there first myself." Yeah. Not helpful. Just complete apathy.</p>
<p>So she is on a gap year now. If the high school is unwilling to submit any recommendations, I mean the counselor recommendations, then does she need to just give up and take one of her admission offers from a school she already got in to? Or is there some way around the high school recommendations..the counselor being the hardest one to get?</p>
<p>Have you asked this question to any of the colleges that your daughter is interested in? Let them tell you what they want. A letter from a teacher or from a boss (assuming she had a part time job) may be a fine substitute. But you won’t know unless you ask. And each school may give you a different answer so ask each college. I’m sure this won’t be the first time they’ve had a student with this problem. </p>
<p>My GC was HORRIBLE. He told me to not apply anywhere except one local college I was automatically accepted to. Luckily, I did not need a GC recommendation, and another reason that was good is that I met the guy maybe four times during my HS career.</p>
<p>Double-check to see if the schools who offered her spots would hold a spot for her - it is late to say “oops, I really wanted to take the spot and take a gap year”. Some would be fine with it. Others would not be. The sooner you contact her top choice that she was accepted to, the better. <em>Unless</em> she is not sure and does want to apply to the others.</p>
<p>Look for schools that do not require GC recommendations.</p>
<p>Call and email admissions at the schools she really would want to go to (and you can afford). It can’t hurt to say “my daughter decided to take a gap year, and would like to apply to your school”. It is even possible for her to start in the spring, depending on the school, but you or she would have to contact those schools immediately.</p>
<p>Don’t let the counselor be a roadblock. She should contact teachers directly for recommendations if she needs them. The GC is worried about the 2015 class and might not find time for her.</p>
<p>And for goodness’ sake - if she needs your and your husband’s help with the common app, help her! It is extremely confusing, so I started it for my son, and having completed a PhD as well as online grant proposals, the Common App is up there with the WHAAAAA??!?!?! factor. Definitely print it out and review it with her. Consider also, if you go the maybe she can start in spring 2015 route, she should send a paper copy of any essays or supplemental materials</p>
<p>I think there’s some conspiracy. High school guidance counselors have some secret union which kicks money back to universities to demand guidance counselor recommendations or something. Though I will echo what was said about community college, why not do that? I went to community college and I’m not a high school guidance counselor now. </p>
<p>I cannot believe that the GC’s responsibilities end at graduation. If this person won’t do it, make an appointment with the principal to calmly discuss the issue. If that doesn’t work, try the superintendent, and then your school board rep. These people get paid for this stuff.</p>
<p>Is there an administrative assistant in the guidance office?</p>
<p>I think your best bet is to find the clerical type person who can go into the archived reports and pull them up, retitle them with your D’s name and “2015” instead of 2014, and then you are good to go. Buy a box of fancy chocolates for this person and drop it off.</p>
<p>Then once your D has her list, she can call this nice clerical person and have him/her shoot off the transcripts and recommendations all at the same time.</p>
<p>you are shooting too high if you go to the GC- you are not asking for NEW recommendations, right? Just a redo of the ones your D used last year, which should be sitting in a saved file somewhere on the HS hard drive…</p>
<p>Agree with blossom - and remember, at large HS’s, the GCs likely have 200+ students each. This week is “Senior Parent Presentation” week so all the GCs are busy with that, and then a college fair in two weeks.</p>
<p>Working around the GC is better if you can.</p>
<p>I would perhaps meet with the school principal to discuss this issue. The GC is not doing the job they were hired to do. I’d ask that another GC be assigned to her, since this one would probably retaliate with a bad letter knowing that you went above his/her head. </p>
<p>You should have looked over your child’s application last year. It’s a long form and anyone can accidentally miss a question or something. Anything this important is certainly worth a second pair of eyes to proofread and check for completeness. </p>
<p>You need to get a response in writing so that you can hold the GC accountable. I’d forward the unanswered emails to the GC in a new email and CC the Principal, Vice-Principal, and Director of Instruction, as well as your husband. Say you understand that the GC is busy at the start of the new school year but you need to know when you can get letters of rec completed. Give GC earlier deadlines than the schools give you. Also give GC a resume or brag sheet to use as a guide. Offer to write a sample letter if that would speed things along. </p>
<p>Here is how the sequence went. Due to constant staff changes, she had a new GC every year she was in high school. So the GC who was supposed to write her recommendation never had met her before. She had to fill out a brag sheet. Then she was told there was a waiting list to get recommendations. I do not know if the GC actually ever submitted her recommendation. When checking with the school, that GC is still there, but no longer assigned to our daughter’s letter. And like I said, we do not even know if she submitted anything the first time.</p>
<p>Is there a way we can look over last years applications and see if the GC ever submitted? </p>
<p>I can’t recall for sure now, but I thought there was a way on the common app to see if the letters are in. If not, many schools have a way to check, or you could always call admissions to check. Given the problems with the school and the technical issues with the common app, I cannot understand why your daughter neglected to proofread what was submitted (there is a print button for the pdf of it) and why she didn’t confirm with the schools that her application was complete. It sounds like she was not totally on board with applying, to be honest.</p>
<p>I agree with working around the counselor if possible. In most places, the counselor rec isn’t worth much (because ad coms know about the ‘brag sheet,’ and in the new common app, it’s entirely possible to say ‘I don’t know this student well enough to recommend, but here’s what I know looking at the schedule’). See if the request is sent through Common App (and I agree, Common App has a way to check if the school report is in from the counselor), can somebody working in the office resend the same school profile and at attach a full transcript? Have your D’s richest application materials come from people who know her, not the GC who doesn’t.</p>
<p>I’d make an appointment to see the principal and see if you can get some help that way. Even if the GS re-sends the initial recommendation that would probably be fine.</p>
<p>Your daughter should make an appointment to speak to the house master, principal, or whomever is in charge. She should take her brag sheet with her…and she should explain her situation to this administrator…in person. My guess is they will get it done.</p>
<p>Just an FYI, a lot of the time the GC’s don’t really have extensive first hand knowledge of all of their students. They do the counselor recommendation from information in the student file, along with information the student provides to them. You make it sound like your daughter is the only one this applies to. She is not alone. Far from it.</p>
<p>Your daughter will also be asking for her high school transcripts to be sent to the colleges.</p>
<p>In terms of teacher recommendations…your daughter should contact the teachers herself and ask for updated letters.</p>
<p>I thought this daughter was following the boyfriend…and also had no money for college. What has changed?</p>