Concerned about counselor letter of rec

Applying to College
1

I have had 4 different counselors in my past 3 years of high school. Now I am getting a new one, so in total I will have had 5 counselors due to illness, pregnancy, and influx of students. Do you think colleges will take this in account if I add it in the additional information section on the common app? The new counselor that I have doesn’t even know who I am, as she has never worked at my school before.

2

could you forego the counselor and ask some of your teachers and/or coaches for your letter(s) of rec?

3

@mommabear67 you can’t forgot the counselor rec- every college asks for a “school report.” I wouldn’t worry about it too much, since most colleges know that counselors aren’t likely to know every kid very well, and aren’t expecting more than a generic rec & overview of the school.
Rely on good teachers for your other recs, and you should be good.

4

The counselor may ask you for a cheat sheet - questions you answer that he/she uses to help with letter. Or you could be pro-active and email to ask if she would like you to provide further information on your background since you know they are new and don’t know you to well. They may appreciate the help…Or rather than email you could say hello in the hall or stop by after hours and introduce yourself so she puts a name to your face, and ask if there is anything that would be helpful for you to provide her.

5

A few comments.

  1. Many GC recommendations are very generic for many reasons including yours, that they have too many students etc. This should not hurt you.
  2. I’d recommend that you set up a meeting with the GC soon after schools starts. Talk about your plans. Ask if he/she has any other college recommendations (to show you value his/her opinion). And ask if there is anything you can give him/her to help them write your LOR such as a resume if you have one, a list of activities etc.
  3. The GC will likely include the circumstance – that he/she is new to the school.
  4. As noted above, be sure to get teacher recommendations from people who know you well as that can compensate for a generic GC recommendation.
  5. Try not to worry about things you can’t control. This will be fine.