hello, everyone, i just really need to get things off my chest because i’m quite upset.
first: my (old) guidance counselor is not helping me through the college application process at all.
i’m a gap year student. i decided to take a gap year at the very last minute to re-do the entire application process over again because the place i was going to attend was not right for me (my parents and i both decided this). i take full and absolute responsibility for being so sudden about the change in my future plans. here’s the problem: she is not cooperating with me at all.
i emailed her last week about my situation and asked her if she could write me another recommendation letter and re-upload my transcripts and reports from last year, and she is telling me i need to email all of my schools and ask what i should do now that i have graduated and she’s no longer my counselor. WHAT? she told me i would need to request all of the information from the people who control the registrar at my school (which i understand this), but can’t SHE pull those things up? why do i need to be the one to do it if i don’t work at the school and have no way of uploading them?
second: things have changed since last year, and my income has shifted from being able to support the payment of college applications to not being able to pay for them or my score reports. at all. i won’t go into details about my financial situation, but i requested a common application fee waiver (something that needs to be signed/approved by her to confirm that my situation is justified in needing it i told her everything about my situation]), and she told me to email common app about what i should do since, again, she’s no longer my counselor. she told me i will need to request a fee waiver from EVERY school to which i am applying because i’m no longer a student of hers. WHAT?
to make matters worse, she’s only working part-time this year, so she’s only in her office half the time which means communicating with her just got even harder.
i’m genuinely so, so upset because this is NOT the first time i have had problems with her. last year, she forgot to send my mid-year report to ALL of my colleges (after i had reminded her weeks prior that it needed to be sent by the specific dates and that it was a required part of my applications)! it was an absolute disaster.
i understand that it is without question MY fault for being so sudden about my gap year and my college process, but am i overreacting? please, help me. i don’t know what to do.
Since you are no longer an enrolled student, there is a solid chance she no longer has access to your transcripts and reports. I’m not sure why you are being so accusatory. I doubt it is personal.
She’s right, she’s not really your counselor anymore. There is a good chance she has not dealt with gap years before. It’s a learning process for both of you.
Could you go up to your school and talk to her face to face? That might be the best chance for communication.
Try to talk to the head of the school. Since you no longer attend as a student, she may not need to be responsible for helping you. If you can afford it, look for a consultant in your community and quickly.
I think she’s right. You’re not a high school student and she’s not your counselor. I wouldn’t think she would be the one who would sign off on a common app waiver any longer. You’ll need to find out what they require from non-student applicants.
@wonderfulreads@preppedparent hello, thank you both for the advice. i did not mean for my post to sound accusatory in any way at all, for i was panicking at 3:30 in the morning and may have been sounding more dramatic than i was intending, so i apologize for that.
@LostTexan i have done some more research, and, as much as i hate being wrong, i think i am wrong. i assumed i would be treated as a senior, but i believe i was totally wrong in assuming that, ahaha.
Okay, so I did some more research. Your counselor is correct about the fee waivers. According to the NACAC website, gap year students are not eligible for their waiver form and need to contact individual schools. Unless you used a SAT fee waiver, then you will are eligible for four college application fee waivers.
Agree, it must be stressful, but will work out in the end. Keep at it. Taking a GAP year, you have some unique experiences and will certainly make your own contributions to a college community who will be lucky to have you!
@kalons, IF you want real advice, you will need to explain your current financial situation. I have spent some time this am reading the CC threads you have started, and trying to surmise where you were accepted last year that you decided against to take a GAP year instead.
Reality check: Based on what I have read, you are setting yourself up for the very same disappointment you experienced last year. Focus on your safety schools. Focus on learning to love your safety schools. Know that a safety school is not a safety school if it is not affordable in your current situation. Will your family STILL be able to pay $40K per year? If so, you are in better shape than I am assuming (by piecing together your threads), and good for you! However, you will be hard-pressed to obtain any fee waivers.
It is October. It may be time to start listening to those well-meaning CCers that have encouraged you to focus on your Safety school, and your parents - I am curious what they are telling you?
You were the VAL - Congratulations! Time to move on.
You are not alone. At this time of year, CC is filled with students pining for their Dream School or bust. Don’t let yourself get caught up in it, again.
@lots2do between a nasty divorce and a sudden mandatory residence change, no, i’m not entirely sure if we are able to still pay $40K in tuition without aid which is why i couldn’t go into detail because i–we–don’t know. all of the schools to which i am applying either give out considerate merit aid scholarships, are in-state which means in-state tuition (on top of scholarships), or cover 100% of my demonstrated need.
the schools to which i’m applying now are what my parents and i have decided are within our (not just my) standards and would be reasonable location wise which is why more than half of those schools on that (coming to) four-month-old thread are no longer on my list. my safety schools are lovely, and i would be lucky to attend any of them, so i, very kindly, disagree with the idea that i’m setting myself up for disappointment by looking at reach schools outside of my target/safety schools not stated on this website.
last year, i wanted to go to a university where i could brag about being part of the accepted class of only (insert small number)%, but this year–just in the past few months–i believe my standards and expectations have changed drastically based on the maturing i’ve done, and i plan to put that maturation to good use. (p.s. thanks for the congratulations on being val.)
Commonapp fee waivers just need a check from the counselor indicating financial circumstances. However the check mark will not be provided unless you disclose your financials. Second, contact the head of school. Don’t explain all of the above. Explain
former student from zxy HS, graduated June 2017
currently on gap year, applying to college.
Contacted former counselor but she’s no longer in charge of your file
which GC is in charge of gap year students St your school, can they provide email address ASAP since you’re applying EA/ED (Nov 1)
You’ll explain the financial circumstances to the new counselor you’re assigned.
Start preparing a “college brag sheet”* since your GC won’t know you. Include what you’ve been doing this year (even if it’s “due to an unexpected family financial situation, I’ve been working full time at Walmart and burgerking. I made employee if the month at both.”)
*** update for everyone: i went and met with her, and, like wonderfulreads mentioned in the posts above, face-to-face communication is absolute key. we sat (well, really stood, haha) and spoke about my situation and the things i needed to be re-uploaded/completed for my common application. it was an extremely understanding conversation on both ends. coming from a school that does not send kids to any schools other than state schools or community colleges (thus, her not having to deal with the common application for many students if any [much less gap year students]), i now understand why it was confusing especially on her end. thank you all for dealing with my teenage, hormonal self. i now feel a little embarrassed by this post, along with guilt for making it, but i also feel extremely relieved, haha.
to future (if any) gap year students who read this thread: pluck up the courage and meet with your old counselor face-to-face! you will be so happy you did. (p.s. don’t make threads at 3:30 in the morning after waking from a deep slumber… you’ll regret it.)
Sounds like you have a much better plan going forward! Face to face meeting with your Counselor was a good idea, and yes those 3:30 AM threads can look a lot different in the morning! I will be interested to see where you end up. Enjoy the journey - as it will go very quickly.
Do keep us posted indeed. Good luck going forward. And don’t forget to fill that brag sheet (" I’ve been told oher gap year students give a recap sheet to their GC, do you want mine for your recommendation "?)
