<p>I live ina very small town…population 1700.</p>
<p>I wonder of the people who do not want to let their GC know where they are matriculating, if they have a college decal on the car? :D</p>
<p>It is hard to keep a secret as to where you are going to college. You may not have a decal, but many will eventually know where you go to college.</p>
<p>I live in a very small town and so you go to the market where everyone knows you and common courtesy is for people to say to me…“how are your girls? Where are they now?” I don’t say, “none of your business.” For that matter, I may even run into one of their former teachers, who may also ask, “where is she now? how does she like college?” You know, it is a friendly place. It would very odd to keep secret where you were going to college.</p>
<p>Eh, I disagree. I don’t really expect my kids to hang around their high school friends (beyond a handful) once they hit college. I want them to have a bigger horizon and I think it’s quite possible that only their close friends would ever know / care where they are going. Certainly their GC hasn’t been an integral part of the process. She’s a perfectly pleasant and nice woman, but her duties are more administrative and my kids are one of a couple hundred she deals with; she can’t possibly really “know” them or care about them at anything more than a generic “wish everyone well” level.</p>
<p>Again, I would see no need NOT to share that info with the GC in the spirit of building the best database for future generations. But I would do that because I think it’s the right thing to do, not because I believe the GC is “owed” that information, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>Soozievt,</p>
<p>I don’t really understand who you are arguing with. I think if a person is willing to share the information about where they are going to college with the GC, they should. If the student is uncomfortable (for any reason) to share the information they shouldn’t. It is the students choice on who he tells where he is going to college. If they want to tell Sam but not Joey that is their choice.</p>
<p>I’d support and encourage my kids filling out the form because it’s good information. But if they didn’t want to fill it out, I’d support them in that decision as well.</p>
<p>I don’t see how they could enforce this unless it is a private school. They can do pretty much what they please, but even then there has to be some prior agreement that this is to be done. from my experience. If this is in their college material, which it might be, then they are bound by it. Unless you want to challenge it, to however far you or the school want to take it.</p>
<p>The private high schools where my sons go, request to see the originals of all acceptances and merit awards. It is not at all required, except for the school where the student is going, and only because the final transcript has to be mailed there. The schools request the originals so that they can be sure that these offers were made, and they can then use the information for future college counseling. A Naviance that has extra info. It is very helpful and the vast majority of kids comply. If you don’t want to make the info public to the school community, you can indicate that, and no one makes you bring the info to the counselor. </p>
<p>Every college I know requires a final grade report That’s why kids have to watch their steps spring semester when senioritus strikes. You don’t want that final to have very low grades. It is also an opportunity for the high school to let the college know if the student has gotten into any hot water before the end of the year and if he has indeed graduated. So though it is not a transcript per se, it is an official document that most if not every college requires.</p>
<p>Setting aside the questions about collection of this information (which nearly all posters seem to agree is a courtesy and potentially helpful to other students, but should be without consequences if a student does not choose to share it), is disclosure of college acceptances/matriculations by the district a violation of FERPA laws? I see that many Profiles include this info. However, sometimes, our school administrators will announce individual acceptances and/or matriculations without asking student permission. I am not asking about ethics, or etiquette; just the legality.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Most non-competitive, open enrollment schools don’t require a final grade report. Community colleges and state universities that are generally non-competitive.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you are concerned, I’d send the principal an e-mail saying that you consider that information to be private and not disclosed without your permission.</p>
<p>In general, I think that information on where a student will be attending college is not considered personal and private information that can’t be released.</p>
<p>Bigtrees, yes, it is a CHOICE whether to tell someone, including your HS guidance counselor, where you are going to college. They can’t make you tell them. I am saying that I think one should tell them. Further, most colleges want a final senior year transcript and so typically one would have to tell the GC know where to send it. </p>
<p>ProxyGC, as I wrote, at our HS graduation, they did honor the top ten kids and did mention where they were going to college. I don’t recall ever being asked permission for that (my D was val and speaker at graduation as well and so was one of these kids whose plans were mentioned in the little thing the principal said about each kid). I just have not run into people not wanting their GC to know where they were going post graduation. The school compiles what percentage attend four year colleges, two year colleges, the military, and work/other. I think they should know this information. For the record, only about 2/3’s of the kids from our HS even go to college. At graduation, anyone joining the service is also honored publicly. Not sure those kids gave permission for that either. I’ve never heard a complaint!</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, my kids hardly told anyone where they applied to college or where they were matriculating, other than a few close friends. But I was saying that it is not a purposeful secret. When we run into people in the town, even people who barely know us, the common courtesy is to say hello and ask about the kids and where they are now that they are not at home, etc. If my kid is in town (very rare) and runs into some adult at the store, it is common that they might recognize my kids and ask them where they are now and what they are doing. Small towns are like that .</p>
<p>In order to get into a degree program, even the near open enrollment schools I know want to see that official high school transcript. Agreed that on non degree seeking programs it is not necessary. </p>
<p>Our county community college does require a final transcript. There are courses and priorities that are given for those who are accepted into a program rather than just taking courses without having applied. Heck, you don’t have to apply at all at those school, and there is no info to give.</p>
<p>I think the argument that not all colleges want a final transcript at the end of senior year is a weak one. Most DO. Most need to see that the student in fact, graduated from high school. And for the purposes of this CC discussion, where most who are participating have kids applying to four year colleges, or have attended one, I think it is just about a given that a final transcript will be required, and thus your kids’ GCs will have to know where to send it.</p>
<p>At schools where kids are pretty much all college bound, they ask each other where they have been accepted and where they are going. It’s the topic of conversation this time of the year, and a perfectly natural question. I would want to know where my classmates are going. There may be some ulterior motives or morbid curiosity by some askers of that question, but for most kids, it just that they want to know where everyone is going to be. My son’s high school puts together a contact list that has everyone’s name, address, phone number, college, and any internet info like Facebook in it. It includes all kids still in college who choose to give out this info. In the days before Facebook, that was how you contacted classmates. For my older son, when we visited colleges, that was a valuable resource as he could contact kids from his high school when he visited. In a few cases, he stayed with them, and they showed him around. </p>
<p>If you don’t need that final grade report indicating that you are now a high school graduate, then you don’t have to give the counselor anything, in most cases, I would think. But in reality, most kids want to let people know at their school.</p>
<p>But the high school transcript only needs to be sent to the school the student decides to attend – it certainly does not have to be sent to schools that rejected or waitlisted the student, or to schools that accepted the student but where the student will not be attending.</p>
<p>^^^Exactly. I don’t know anyone who kept it a secret about where they were going after graduation at this time of year.</p>
<p>Calmom, you are right that the final year transcript is only a point that is valid when discussing the issue of informing the GC where you are going to matriculate. I was saying that at a min., I think each student should inform their school where they are attending, which also is used to compile the School’s Profile that every kid will have sent to their prospective colleges and should be accurate for the sake of all. I suppose if they don’t wish to disclose the other admissions results, that is their prerogative, though I personally would never have a hesitation to do so but that could be a choice.</p>
<p>It’d be incorrect for a GC counseler to decide that you’re attending xyz because you requested a final transcript to xyz.</p>
<p>Perhaps you decided to apply to xyz for the start of spring semester the following year.</p>
<p>But the only issue in this thread is whether the school has a legal right to force disclosure, through a threat of a monetary fine, disciplinary action (depriving the student of the right to participate in graduation), and possible withholding of transcripts. </p>
<p>It’s a very nice thing for students to give little gifts or thank you notes to their teachers when they leave at the end of the year, too. But it would be inappropriate for a school to send out a threatening letter trying to force students to do so.</p>
<p>Bigtrees, I think it is pretty obvious that a request to send a transcript in June of senior year to a college means it is because the student will be attending. It really is not the time of year to be sending a transcript to a school you’ll be applying for next fall. I mean that is a stretch. Further, I think most kids who request the transcript to be sent, would also say: “Please send my final year transcript to X college as they need it as I am matriculating there.” I just think you are talking about the exception to the norm here. First you talk about colleges that won’t require a final transcript and many of us are saying that most colleges do. Then, you say you could request the transcript to be sent in June but never tell your GC why you want it sent and that it would be wrong of them to infer the reason.</p>
<p>Calmom, you are totally correct that the main question on this thread is whether a school can enforce this through threats of fines, consequences, no graduation, etc. And I don’t think they can or should! Still, I think such a discussion can include whether it is reasonable to let a HS GC know where you will go to college upon graduation. Some seem to not want to disclose that, no matter if there were no consequences.</p>
<p>I haven’t found one person on this thread who agrees with the fines and consequences. So, since most agree on that, we are discussing everything else, LOL!</p>
<p>One thing about Naviance and scores - At least at my son’s HS, the Naviance data shows the last three years of information. So, it would be difficult to determine who was accepted or rejected at various schools. Unless there was only one 2400 scorer in the last three years, even that wouldn’t give you a name unless you otherwise knew of such a student. Likewise, with multiple years, it is unlikely that only one student applied to a particular college over the course of those three years, and again, you would have to know the name of the student independently.</p>
<p>The system will not work without information and if the students are so self-centered, paranoid or lazy that they won’t voluntarily provide the information, I’m not sure there is much that the school can legally do.</p>