<p>Any tips on how to establish a good relationship with a HS counselor in a LARGE competitive public school (for letter of recs)?</p>
<p>If you are a junior or sophomore, talk to your counselor BEFORE senior year. Tell he or she how things are going a couple of times a semester. Wave hi to them in the hallways. Ask for advice, maybe, about classes. There are some counselors who genuinely want to get to know students, but are simply unable to meet everyone, so make it easy for them. Try to develop a natural relationship though, and for heavens’ sake, don’t mention college recs until you get to your senior year.</p>
<p>insightful information if only I knew about this website from before</p>
<p>I would also suggest that you wait for a less stressful time of year to initiate the relationship. They are likely swamped right now trying to get all the last minute applications requests completed. My kids and I met with the GC just after school ended in June to discuss plans for the summer and fall of senior year. February is likely a slower month, and perhaps August/September.</p>
<p>I developed a great relationship with my counselor after visiting her several times over the past couple of years regarding schedule changes, personal issues, and of course, college information. Just dropping by her office so many times, I got to know her really well and now she loves me and wrote me a very flattering recommendation. Oh, and it didn’t hurt to write thank-you cards after each appointment with her. So if you ever have the chance, just drop by her office, say hello, smile, and treat her like a person, not a lady in an office who does all your paperwork.</p>
<p>At many large public high schools (like ours), the guidance counselors don’t know most of the students because they are busy working with students who are in need of serious help. For that reason, our schools require that students compete information sheets to give to their GCs and their teachers. Those info sheets include questions like:</p>
<p>1) What am I most proud of accomplishing (in school, outside of school)?
2) What challenge(s) have I overcome?
3) What are my goal and objectives for my future? (academic and professional if you know)
4) What would my friends say are my most attractive qualities? (Name 3)
5) (to the parents) Brag about your kid </p>
<p>This way, even students who haven’t got a relationship with a gc can get a customized recommendation. And both gcs and teachers often quote verbatim from these documents. Why not try writing one up for yourself and give it to the GC and teachers to help them write you the best possible letter? The more information they have, the better - and maybe you’ll start a trend in your high school.</p>
<p>I assume you are not a senior, so with that in mind, I suggest you do the following:</p>
<p>Freshman year: Meet with your counselor about you class schedules and make sure they know your college thoughts (college-bound vs. music conservator, for example). </p>
<p>Sophomore year: Continue to meet with your counselor about class schedules. Also make sure you review results of your PLAN (pre-ACT) scores and what that means for projected ACTs. If you already have ideas about college plans, share them with your counselor, but don’t get too wrapped up about specific colleges yet.</p>
<p>Junior year:
- Learn when to register for PSATs (Autumn); review results w/ counselor.
- Register / take ACT and SAT by Spring of Junior year.
- Meet more than once to discuss senior classes.
- Give your counselor updated information on what you’re thinking about college,
like your major, which colleges interest you, location of college - Pick your counselor’s brain about scholarships that you will need to apply, some of
which requires your counselor’s recommendation</p>
<p>Senior year:
- Do what M’s Mom suggests in the early fall so the counselor has a cheat sheet to
remind them about your interests and strengths.<br> - Give the same summary (cheat sheet) to teachers that you would like to write
recommendation letters - Meet with your counselor by October so share a list of 5-10 colleges you will apply;
get feedback on the reality of these for a good fit; solicit add’l feedback from
counselor to see if you should consider other similar schools. - Make sure your counselor understands your financial situation so they can point your
toward appropriate colleges that offer merit or scholarships with your stats in mind. - As you need counselor help, keep in mind that they have more than just you to worry
about. Keep your information organized; send emails with specific details of colleges,
application deadlines, etc., so your counselor can refer to it as needed during the fall. - Keep your meetings with counselor brief and to the point so you maximize your time
as well as your counselor’s time and energy, but you should be able to drop in as
needed during college application time. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Wow thanks fire ago the amazing pieces ofof advice guys! I am a junior right now. I got her a thank you and happy holidays card for winter break because i felt like i was being a brat earlier in the year.</p>
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<p>so i tried to establish one with mine in the summer. she said we’d do it laters. and laters never really happened. in fact no one really knows her because its her second year.</p>
<p>but she mustve written great recs because i got into my ed school and others of hers got into
Columbia
Cal Tech
Johns Hopkins
Princeton
Rice</p>
<p>so it isnt really “necessary.” theyre mainly gonna look at your stats, a list of activities that you shouldve sent them, your ec’s, your class rigor, and your gpa</p>
<p>THE ONE YOU WANT TO HAVE A GREAT CONNECTION WITH IS YOUR TEACHER REC. colleges dont really expect your counselor to know you like a teacher who sees you frequently does</p>
<p>Do something weird like I did 
I go to a local art school for an hour a day, so I’ve had to talk to my GC a lot for stuff about that.</p>
<p>But in terms of something that you can actually do, definitely just talk to her about stuff during non-busy times. Talk about colleges information, classes for next year, etc. Just be friendly, and don’t stick to the bare minimum and only show up to schedule classes.</p>
<p>I’m going to have to disagree with giving a cheat sheet to teachers, unless of course it is require. Giving it to a counselor who doesn’t know you well makes sense. However, teacher recs shouldn’t say “John plays soccer, and he’s really good,” unless they are from the soccer coach. Teacher recs should be based on what the teacher knows about the student based on what they have seen. It doesn’t make sense to tell the teachers what to say; that ruins the point of the rec. I think colleges will see right through a generic teacher recommendation that is based around talking points the student wanted them to mention.</p>
<p>Crimson, in some cases, a favorite teacher may know your academics strenghts as well as your work ethic, but they still may not know what you prefer to study in college or how how classes or activities relate to your intended field. Giving your teachers the same cheat sheet or summary you provide your counselor will give them some notes or an outline for a recommendation letter. You want to make it as easy as possible on your teacher, because they may have 20 or 30 other senior recommendations to write.</p>