Just out of curiosity.
Theoretically, sure.
Probably wouldn’t be in their best interest to trash the students they’ve guided the last four years though.
They need to maintain their own credibility.
If a student is truly awful, the GC isn’t going to lie and say the student is great.
Yes, they can choose to say minimal things about you.
Is it possible to use FERPA to get a copy of the counselor’s rec?
They may not mean to, but if they’re not used to the type of school they’re writing for - for example, if most students go to a recommendation-free college - they may not know what to emphasize, what type of information to include, etc. Always provide them with a ’ college brag sheet’- if your high school doesn’t have one, google it, fill it out, and give it to them.
If you’ve been consistently rude, obnoxious /horrid, lied, bullied, they may either mention it, or be non committal about you.
If you do not sign off FERPA (“waive”) colleges think there’s an issue and/or don’t think anything written about you is truthful.
Once ou’ve enrolled, SOME (few, usually public) colleges allow you to read your file.
Yes, the SSR can be negative, absolutely.
Even a neutral ‘recommendation’ is tantamount to having a negative one. They need not trash the student to undermine their admission chances. Of course, if it is warranted, they should be up front and honest.
In a perfect world, the student would have had a conversation with the writer and would be given feedback immediately. If I don’t think a student will succeed, I would not feel comfortable recommending them…and I would tell the student if approached.
Yeah, they can, especially if they haven’t really gotten to know the student. My GC gave everyone this packet where we had to answer all these questions about our personal qualities, but I don’t think that’s common.
Choose your teacher carefully. Ideally, you want to have a good rapport with the teacher, and to have put forth effort. This doesn’t mean you need to only ask a teacher whose class you got an A in. Participation and effrot are probably more important, IMO.
That being said, colleges know that many GCs do not ever get a chance to know their students. I’d say some of the earlier pronouncements about “neutral” GC statements being an automatic negative aren’t true. My GC didn’t really know me beyond what he may have heard from other teachers. I had no college rejections.
If you’ve had disciplinary issues in HS, for sure.