<p>Basically, my previous counselor, who had kindly guided me for two years, had retired right before I started my Gr.12 year. My new counselor is very supportive as well; however, due to time constraint (I have never met her until this Sept. and applications are due in Nov.)and the fact that my school has a miserable counselor-student ratio of 1:350, it is very difficult for me and the new counselor to get to know each other well. </p>
<p>So....I wonder if I may invite my current counselor to be my recommender for the Common App, and to fill out the school transcript forms, etc, but leave the counselor recommendation to my previous counselor.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for reading this thread all the way thru! I will appreciate any support you offer.</p>
<p>That’s a fine line you’re walking, since technically your old counselor is not really your counselor anymore. Send a question over on the Common App website, they should answer you soon. I would be wary, you wouldn’t want to find out that your rec is not valid! Good luck! :)</p>
<h2>^^ wow you are fast! I just posted the thread.</h2>
<p>I’ve asked Common App’s Support Team, they simply said that I should invite my current counselor w/o mentioning about rec…</p>
<p>Here are the options I thought of:
- give the current counselor my resume & invite her to complete everything. Then attach my previous counselor’s rec in the Addi. Info. section. Also explain my situation to the colleges I’m applying to.
The problem is, the new counselor probably won’t have time to read my resume. After all, I’m in a crowded public school.</p>
<ol>
<li>Risk it? Let my current counselor complete the transcript. Then just attach my previous counselor’ rec.</li>
</ol>
<p>Confused & depressed…</p>
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<p>And thank you Biggie_Smalls! =) I’ll definitely be careful.</p>
<p>A lot of this will be up to your former counselor: how willing is he/she to come out of retirement and write on your behalf? And if he or she agrees, your former counselor will need to send a letter as an additional recommendation, not the official counselor recommendation. But having said that, the Secondary School Report asks counselors how long they have known a student and in what context. A college can easily discern that a new counselor will probably not know a student as well as one who has worked with that student over the course of many months or even years. It is unfortunate that your counselors retirement and your college application process intersect like this, but colleges encounter this kind of stuff all the time. It will not be held against you.</p>
<p>WinstonWolfe, thank you so much for you answer! It’s just so clear and helpful. I’m really glad to hear that colleges would understand my situation. Gonna follow your advice =] </p>
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<p>(well, I still welcome more suggestions though)</p>