Counselor Of 3 Years Is Leaving, Now What Do I Do For Rec ?

<p>bump.................</p>

<p>Hey, gooduniforme. I know that it's really nervewracking introducing yourself to the GC. I would start pretty informally. Go in and introduce yourself, welcome him/her to the school, etc. If he is a good counselor, he will be happy that you are introducing yourself so early in the game. Try to just get a conversation going. I guess that's kinda vague, but my counselor started asking me questions about myself/my interests. Think of good stories to tell. What do you want your GC to know about your personality? In a way, this will be good practice for college interviews, because you can think hard about your qualities and how to make them shine. Also, maybe it would be a good idea to wait until college comes up before jumping right in. If you're gonna be a senior, hopefully your GC will be thinking hard about those recs and will ask you some questions. If not, ease into the college subject by asking questions of your own, or talking about what you want to do in college. That will keep the conversation personal. On your next visit, if you feel comfortable, you can go for more formal stuff: grades, classes, college, etc. </p>

<p>These are just suggestions to make your introduction easier. They worked pretty well for me last year, but hey, we're all different, so do what feels natural to you. I think that with these conversations, your GC will get a good feel for your personality and will be able to make his impressions of you come out behind your old GC's notes. If your GC is experienced, he will have written lots of these letters and probably will be able to write something good! And if it turns out that your counselor is rude or unattentive,then I'd focus on pursuing your old GC or having a faculty member you know well give you advice. Luckily, my GC is really sweet, so I hit it off with her right away, but stick up for yourself if this is not the case with yours.</p>

<p>If you need any other advice, let me know. I know how hard it is to deal with a GC transition, especially at a time like this. Just bear with it and I bet you'll be great. Anyway, I'm going to try and find the list of essay questions I had to give my counselor this june and will post some here if you want. They may help!</p>

<p>Do svidanya!</p>

<p>gooduniforme,</p>

<p>Honestly, you're demonstrating more concern about this matter than is necessary. The role of a counselor is one that serves as an advisor and a resource to you, the student. Your new counselor will want to meet you, and you will not be "rejected" -- so get that out of your mind. One of my very best friends in life over the past 15 years is a high school counselor for a public H.S. I know that he is typical of professionals in the field, AND I know that he cannot possibly get to know each and every one of his students well. Instead he relies on his knowledge, the application of best practices, and being methodical and detail-minded in his work. I would venture that many, if not most, H.S. students do not have the same counselor for all 4 years of H.S., and it is for this reason that counselor "recommendations" will focus primarily on the tangible and objective measures of your academic record.</p>

<p>Go to the following website, below, and size up what the process is like from a counselor's perspective. The site is the National Association for College Admission Counseling. When you get to the website, scroll down to the part about "The College Admission Process" and click on "The Parts of an Admissions Folder". Within this page, you will find reference to "School Recommendation", which is what the Guidance Counselor at your H.S. is responsible for. As it states, this portion of your admissions folder is "not as critical as your record itself". I believe that your new counselor will serve you well if you present yourself as candid, sincere and interested in seeking his assistance.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/News/StepsNewsletter/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/News/StepsNewsletter/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>devushka, bolshoya spacibo ! Yes, I will be a senior next year, and I will definitely make it a point to visit the GC at least a few times. NorCalDad, thanks for that informative website; i'll be sure to read it !</p>