<p>I was talking to a girl a while ago and she was telling me how she was going to be graduating a semester early and taking some gen ed classes at the CC college before entering a state college next year. Her goal, and this is a quote "is to become a physician. It's kind of like a doctor but not really". Of course red flags are flying everywhere. First, our state has free college classes for high school aged kids. By her "graduating early" she then has to pay for those classes at the CC. Second, the physician comment kind of scared me. I asked her if she had talked to her guidance office. She said they didn't know anything and her parents were the ones that told her to take this path.</p>
<p>Ok, so, how much help is your guidance office for your kids? We have fantastic resources at our school. The counselors are very well versed in the "college" process, keep very updated lists and information about local, regional, national scholarships, etc. They have been extremely helpful in class selection, etc. </p>
<p>The above story is more just because I am still shaking my head over that conversation.</p>
<p>They send transcripts and other application elements. As for real guidance, there’s just one “college planning” discussion in Sept of 12th grade. Both my kids reported that their GC had never heard of some of the schools on their lists. This surprised us bc Franklin & Marshall, College of Charleston, Wash & Lee, U of Richmond, for example, aren’t exactly no-names. </p>
<p>Put simply, at our mid-sized public HS, the GCs are swamped with keeping the at-risk kids on a path to graduation. The high-achievers must fend for themselves. But, that’s OK, they’re up to it. </p>
<p>It’s a pity, but I think the kids in the middle really lose out.</p>
<p>Our counselors are among the overwhelmed with keeping at risk kids in school. They are reasonably knowledgeable about the various state college options. Beyond that, not so much. I was shocked at the spelling and grammar errors in my second D’s letter of recommendation from her guidance counselor. Then I figured maybe colleges would be even more impressed with my kid if they saw the level of the staff at her high school!</p>
<p>And then there was the year when 2 of the guidance counselors altered their own kids’ transcripts for applications to major universities. They were caught when all the kids’ transcripts had to be resent due to a computer error and Stanford noticed that they had two very different transcripts for the same kid. Did they get fired? Well, no. They were transferred to a different school in the district and one of them is now back at my kid’s school! Believe me that counselor is not touching anything to do with my kid! The administration quietly transfers any kids whose parents complain to a different counselor on the staff.</p>
<p>I was appalled at how little help my daughter’s GC was. That’s why I joined CC – to get information I couldn’t get from her (and I’ve found tons of great info and support here). In our first real meeting, she said how well D was doing, then she recommended James Madison University (nothing wrong with it, but not exactly a target school). </p>
<p>D said she didn’t want to go to school in the south; GC said “then how about U of Richmond?” I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic, or hadn’t heard her, or was just dense. </p>
<p>I emailed her with a bunch of important questions in the fall of D’s senior year; she was away on vacation for 2 weeks. I felt like saying: isn’t this your busy time? And here’s the kicker – the senior class had 90 kids, 10 of whom were already accepted to college before senior year began! So each GC had maybe 20 kids? Not exactly a crushing work load.</p>
<p>We only had two interactions with the GC. We requested transcripts which were promptly provided. And she requested a “brag sheet” from me so that she could write letters.</p>
<p>We never turned to the counselling staff for advice or information about colleges. There were well-versed in the UC and CSU systems, but D wasn’t interested in those schools. </p>
<p>I don’t blame them, though. There were only 3 GCs to serve a school of almost 1800 kids. How in the world could they be expected to know anything about the obscure out-of-state LACs that D liked? It would be ridiculous and unfair for me to be upset or disappointed that they couldn’t spend endless time getting to know my D and her college wishes.</p>
<p>This may shock some of you who believe private prep school kids get escorted through the system.</p>
<p>In a class of 40 kids we got 0 advice on what schools to look at for my son. And he was an unusual case with really strong strengths and some real areas of weakness (ld’s) He transferred senior year to a slightly bigger school. Both admissions counselors gave absolutely no advice on picking appropriate schools. One generated a report that gave schools way, way below sons potential. The first school had nothing by way of helping kids connect with community service, had no real clubs, and the head was a real equal outcomes kind of guy and stopped all awards for honor roll. I had asked once, how much community service is expected since the school didn’t have a requirement, they couldn’t answer - just told our son to volunteer at church (we didn’t attend)</p>
<p>So we were on our own with that. I was a pest. I emailed the gc all the time with questions. I didn’t even know how to find the common app. I didn’t know it couldn’t be fixed once saved. I had no clue of the process whatsoever, and though reaching out for help over and over, I received none. </p>
<p>When I was nervous about him being admitted anywhere, gc just said it was a real crapshoot. Like he couldn’t say - listen, I don’t know where he’ll get in, he’ll get in a few.</p>
<p>These gc’s would faint if they heard what I’m saying about them. The first wrote a wonderful personal letter for ds. And the second school was good about getting all the files mailed. I honestly don’t have any idea what they do all day, they certainly aren’t counseling students on the college process.</p>
<p>the GC’s at my sons school do not even know what is going on in OUR school system, much less colleges. I feel like I am the one hand holding them through the process!
I just smile and try to be nice until he graduates, then I will not have to deal with them again.</p>
<p>The GC was very good at getting the transcripts and recommendations out on time. She was clueless about anything other than top tier schools and in-state options. Luckily I had CC. In addition to helping my own daughter, I was able to suggest some strategies to a few of her friends (one of whom was in a school with a truly terrible guidance dept.)</p>
<p>Ok, I just sent an email to our kids’ guidance counselor thanking her for all the help over the years and the fantastic job they do. We have 5 counselors for about 2000 students. We have had kids go to schools all over the nation so they have some experience with many different areas which helps. </p>
<p>Mainly it’s the “process” they help with-making sure kids get signed up for the right tests at the right times and wading through the AP/Dual enrollment process, etc. They offer a lot of information sessions for parents through the year on various college topics like financial aid and whatnot. They meet with all of the kids sophomore year to see what their plans are for after high school and help them with class selection options, making sure they are taking the right classes to get into their prospective schools–and recommending changes to those schools as appropriate (meaning there is no way a 3.0 that hasn’t taken an AP classes is getting into Harvard no matter what Grandma says ).</p>
<p>M’s Mom–that is what I asked her too M’s Mom. I was trying to figure out what she was talking about but she was quite adamant that it was not a PA and it was an MD. It really just got to the point where I wasn’t going to be able to figure out what she was really talking about because she really didn’t know what she was talking about.</p>
<p>by any chance, did your child go to Minnetonka high school in Minnesota. My children are open enrolled in Minnetonka school district and the guidance counselors (and support school offers in general) are great. Your description of services provided by high school sound like Minnetonka high school :).</p>
<p>Not Minnetonka but another suburban school. From what I have gathered, most suburban schools are pretty much the same. I have heard of a couple smaller, private schools that don’t have the same resources but they are working to improve those.</p>
<p>Our GC is a very nice person and did her best…which was better than the secretary, who recommended my D withdraw her application to Juilliard and go to a “real music school” like the state flagship.</p>
<p>D1 attends a very small public school (75 in the graduating class). They have 2 GCs- one for each half of the alphabet. We received a letter in fall of senior year to set up an appointment with the GC to discuss college. I immediately called and got on the GCs calendar. We walked in, and I had my laptop, with the colleges that she was interested in, and the ones she had already visited and ranked in a color coded spreadsheet. Unfortunately, this was the GCs first year dealing with graduating seniors. She was a bit overwhelmed by how prepared we already were, and offered little additional guidance. I will admit, that I immediately went to the principal’s office to suggest that the gc not be able to ‘guide’ student’s to college. I felt that she was a disservice to people who were not as informed as we were.</p>
<p>She is a very sweet person, and tried very hard to do what was best for the kids. As the year went on, she did become a great advocate for D1, and informed her of many local scholarships, and awards.</p>
<p>Ours are young (none with over 4 years experience) but diligent and willing to learn more. That’s good because they still have a lot to learn. I’m grateful, however, that they recognize they have weaknesses and are more than willing to put in the work to overcome them. That was not necessarily the case with some of the veteran GCs they replaced. One of the shortcomings that our GCs will have to overcome is minimal knowledge about both the college search, selection & admission process and about colleges. Our GCs are all fairly recent products of the SUNY system and except in one case they did not look at private colleges. They can give great and fairly current advice about our state publics, but are just beginning to learn about other options. Give em time and I think they’ll be OK. If I’m wrong, at least the last of my kids will be off to college in August.</p>
<p>Our GC’s are sweet and well-meaning but they are just not prepared to deal with anything beyond kids getting into our state flagships or lower. As far as scholarship help…they referred me to Fastweb time after time. That’s all they know about it. I mentioned College Confidential to one and they had never heard of it!</p>
<p>I’ve learned so much here it is unreal. This place really fills a void.</p>
).</p>