<p>In app. status it says now everything is receieved except for counselor rec. letter... i don't know if my counselor even sent one. My question is that I got a new counselor over winter break so she doesn't know anything about me. How will I be able to get a counselor rec letter... ugh...</p>
<p>
[quote]
i don't know if my counselor even sent one.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, finding out is probably the first order of business. I'm assuming that, if your counselor sent a rec letter, there's probably a copy of it in your transcript file at high school. So I would go visit your new guidance counselor on Monday and find out! The answer might be as simple as getting the GC to fax or mail a copy of the letter to Swarthmore. Even if your counselor somehow forgot to send a letter to Swarthmore, there may be a letter sent to other colleges that would suffice along with an explanation.</p>
<p>If no letter was ever written and sent to anybody then I'm surprised that you haven't been hearing from all of your schools. Even so, it's still not the end of the world. The main purpose of the counselor's letter is to confirm that that you are in good standing, haven't been suspended, haven't told a bunch of lies on your application, put your course load in the context of the high school (which would also be known from class rank), etc. Anything beyond that is gravy. If necessary, your new counselor should be able to fix you up.</p>
<p>I believe the thing is that my counselor sent in a small additional info page that they ask for on the common app. (it is optional). I guess he thought that was the counselor rec. letter. However EVERY other school (a total of 9) have gotten everything. Its just swarthmore. So I don't think he ever sent one.. and i don't think my new counselor can fix me up mainly because I have seen her only once. We never formed any sort of rapport. However, I was very good friends with my previous counselor and she knew things other than acadmemics about me. My new one, even if he sends one, won't write anything other than "this kids class rank is etc. ". </p>
<p>So you suggest just ask the new counselor for help? I guess I can do that.</p>
<p>Asking your new counselor for help is really all you can do. It certainly can't hurt, and there isn't anything you can do on your own that would help, so go for it. If every other school got one, I wouldn't doubt that your counselor sent it: it might just have been not filed yet, or something. Anyway, check with them to see if one was sent, and if not I'm sure they'd be able to write something complimentary for you, regardless. :]</p>
<p>OK. I see what you are talking about. It sounds like your counselor used the space on the School Report form to put her recommendation comments.</p>
<p>I'm not an admissions officer, but my guess is that would suffice just fine. It's possible that Swarthmore didn't see the comments there -- I think it's on the back of the page, right? They may have been looking for a separate letter.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you call or e-mail the admissions office at Swarthmore, explain that your counselor's rec is on the Common App School Report. Ask them if they have this and if this is sufficent. If you want, talk to your counselor on Monday and have him/her call Swarthmore. If you want to call, it's even possible that the Admissions Office is answering the phones today on Saturday. I don't know.</p>
<p>This is probably just a simple filing error. I really don't think they care what form the recommendation is typed on.</p>
<p>I would guess that a copy of this form is in your file in the guidance office. So worst case if this form is missing, your new couselor could send a copy to Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Ok thanks everyone. </p>
<p>The reason why I believe I don't think its a filing error is that it was "outstanding" and is now changed to "missing".</p>
<p>For what it's worth, my son's Swarthmore file said that his secondary school transcript and his mid-term report were "outstanding" last week ("Hey, cool, Mom, they think I'm outstanding.") and this week both items are listed as "missing". Considering that these two items have been received by all the other schools to which he applied, and were presumably sent out by his guidance counselor at the same time, we're assuming that Swarthmore just hasn't gotten around to filing them yet.</p>