<p>Has anyone else tracked their GC's advice as to safeties, matches and reaches and analyzed how on target (or not) they were? D's GC keeps suggesting schools we have never heard of (which, upon further research, are safeties by anyone's definition), even though D has had OVs at LACs and interest from some prestigious schools. My brother was told by his GC at a very selective private school "don't try for any of the top schools. You'll never get in." Good thing he didn't listen -- he ended up being accepted at HYP. And Slippery Rock, the safety she made sure he applied to.</p>
<p>I think GCs imagine themselves portfolio managers of a VERY CONSERVATIVE fund so they ALWAYS recommend a blue chip (safety) even though the "return" might be greater on something else....</p>
<p>Bottom line: don't listen to them. Go with your gut.</p>
<p>That happened to be your individual experience with a guidance counselor. I do not think you can make any sweeping generalizations over them. There are a lot out there who are quite incompetent. There are many out there who overestimate the likelihood of admittance as well. It merely sounds like your GC was clueless, not out of an inherent conservative bias. </p>
<p>My high school not only had GCs, but actual college counselors and their advice was horrendous. </p>
<p>I would advise everyone to do their own research.</p>
<p>I think I’ve talked to my GC once this year, for a recommendation. Unless it’s a public school in Iowa, he doesn’t know squat. There’s no problem w/ going independent of the GC; that’s what I’ve been doing all these years.</p>
<p>My guidance counselor did not know my name after meeting with me every day for a week last year. He finally learned my name after getting a dozen or so emails from my parents and meeting with me three times this year. He has not suggested a single college to me.</p>
<p>Last year was my counselor’s last before retiring and everyone had a feeling she just didn’t care anymore. Her input was ridiculously off and then she accused me of being bigoted for being iffy about going to a Roman Catholic school (I’m Jewish). I’m so glad I didn’t take her advice or else I wouldn’t be applying to a lot of my schools which “I should just give up on” according to her.</p>
<p>Well, in all fairness, their job is pretty stressful. At least at my school that’s the case. There are about 4000 kids and 8 guidance counselors. So figure they’re dealing with about 120 seniors each. It’s pretty hard to have a profound understanding of that many students. I don’t know what it’s like at your kid’s school.</p>
<p>Lets just say my guidance councelor has never heard of UVA… When I said I want to apply to UVA/Gtown he said “well have you thought about Binghamton?” To say I wanted to slap the guy across the face would be an understatement. He has never writen a reccomendation before but he is writing mine.</p>