<p>I don’t think it is just a NY thing. I’m from California and the word “quirky” strikes me as signaling something that is not necessarily completely positive. If it is meant to mean creative, imaginative then that’s fine; if it means “a little weird” or “geeky” or “socially awkward” that is not so great…even for schools that supposedly “like” some form of “quirkiness”. Unless you agree that your kid is “quirky” of course.</p>
<p>This thread reminds me of why I told DD to go ahead and waive her rights to see what GC wrote about her. Too much splitting of hairs for me. Way more important things to worry about than word choice.</p>
<p>It reminds me of a time when MIL got hold of a medical report that was being submitted by a specialist for worker’s comp that described her as a 53 year old obese female with spinal stenosis and a history of a fall at work.</p>
<p>She came to me shaking the paper saying “why did he have to call me fat? I already know I’m fat, I don’t need him telling me that.”</p>
<p>I responded that obesity is a medical diagnosis and in the case of her recovery it was a relevant fact to what her potential outcomes would be and that I’m pretty sure he wasn’t JUST calling her names. In fact, one could argue a bit of negligence had he not mentioned it as it had much to do with her likely course of recovery and ability to return to her job. Didn’t matter a bit to her that there actually was a legitimate reason. To this day, she calls him the doctor that said she was fat.</p>
<p>Sometimes in life, you just don’t need to see the sausage being made.</p>
<p>“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not always the best policy when it comes to recommendations for competitive colleges/jobs…or medical decisions either. I’ve seen some college recommendations that, whether meant to be negative or not, sure looked negative, and would not be helpful for the applicant. I agree with someone above who said that a prospective recommender who is not going to say something positive should decline to write one; a student should be able to put his/her best foot forward. On the other hand, it is hard not to go ahead and sign the waiver anyway, because the argument against signing it is that the recommendation will not be taken as seriously. That’s unfortunate, but seems to be the way it has turned out after the law changed requiring that students had a right to see their recommendations unless they waive the right. Here, though, the OP has read it. In that case, it is certainly legitimate to consider whether to have the GC change or explain the word “quirky.”</p>
<p>I think the word “quirky” connotes a student who won’t be a “follower.”</p>
<p>I don’t like quirky. With the hundreds of wonderful qualifying words the GC could use, they shouldn’t use quirky. I think of a nerdy loner who isn’t very comfortable in their own skin. JMO.</p>