<p>From Archie: “D goes to a large public high school with not enough GCs and the parent questionnaire is required to get a GC recommendation.” This seems pretty straight forward to me. Guidance requires it. </p>
<p>Just a mom of 4:“Because your own daughter should be perfectly capable of doing it herself. Why should she need you to do it for you.” The student probably had a different form that she filled out.</p>
<p>All schools have different requirements. And if you want to get along, you just do what you are told. If I had been asked to fill out some form by the college counselor (which DD’s school did not do), I would have just filled out the darned form, and you can be sure that the travel would have been on it. It would not have occured to me that it might look as though we were wealthy.</p>
Sorry, mom o 4. I probably read it after another long day…You make the point, in a way, that people could bristle at something presented in the “wrong” way. I’m sure there are plenty of architecture students that got into programs without, as you point out “the luxury of critiquing Rome.” So in a way, I guess we were both on the same page!</p>
<p>If you are a parent of a freshman or sophomore, do start a folder or notebook and a list of accomplishements (EC, test scores, etc)> Modest kids won’t want to do this themselves. And they will think they’ll remember it all. But my son (who usually likes to be self sufficient) made good use of the info I collected.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone her is suggesting there is something wrong with responding to a school’s requirement for a parent brag sheet–just that it’s a lousy idea for the school to ask for one. My kids’ high school was filled with kids whose parents, had they been asked, would not produce a brag sheet because they were non-English speaking, and/or un- or under-educated, and/or minimally involved in their children’s lives. On the other hand, there were many highly educated and involved parents who, if asked, could and would write reams of nuanced discussion of the magnificent attributes of their special snowflakes. I think the GC’s at our school would be rolling with laughter at the parent brag sheet concept.</p>
<p>I have to admit I am puzzled by the controversy. The questionnaire for parents is just another tool that SOME schools use to help the overworked GCs come up with accurate descriptors for their students.</p>
<p>They asked, we answered. Our school has many parents for whom English is their 2nd language…I suppose they ask their kids for help in filling it out. There is no law against the kids doing it jointly with the parents, either. </p>
<p>Different high schools have different customs, and some of you sound rather superior in dissing this particular one. </p>
<p>As far as the OPs original question, it may be worth mentioning the travel as an explanation for why their child has a particulary open worldview, or is comfortable talking to strangers, or whatever. If it’s relevant, mention it. Travel is no more elitist than taking music lessons. MHO.</p>
No, that’s just the type of innocent comment that has the potential to rankle. DS is probably more comfortable talking to strangers than anyone I know (I must have skipped the “don’t talk to strangers lesson”), and he hasn’t traveled the world either. Do kids who haven’t traveled have myopic views of the world? etc. etc.</p>
<p>sylvan–sorry if you are rankled, but I don’t think our two opinions are mutually exclusive. </p>
<p>Some kids can travel the world and still be shy, or not know how to get around because they let the adults do all the thinking and planning.</p>
<p>And some kids can have skills and a certain outlook without having gone anywhere noteworthy.</p>
<p>I’m just saying, (as are other posters) parents can help the GC out by their observations. Or would you rather the GC, who certainly doesn’t know your child as well, just make up stuff for the recommendation, based on the 10 minutes he/she spent in the GC office last fall?</p>
<p>Edit: I think “travel” USED to be associated with having money…back when people dressed up to fly, and airlines served “meals” and did not bodysearch you before allowing you to board. :eek:</p>
<p>justamomof4–My daughter was required to submit a resume and, in addition, we (her parents) were required to submit a separate form. My daughter did everything that was required of her on her own, and we did what was asked of us. You might not understand the requirement–my guess is that they are trying to get as complete a picture as possible of a kid so they can write the best recommendation possible–but it really did not occur to me to ask why. Whether they should be asking for this or not, they do, and my response seemed pretty straightforward–this is what her guidance office requires, you want the rec from the GC, you hand in what they ask for. To say that complying with the guidance office’s requirements makes me an obnoxious parent, which is what you seem to be saying, seems pretty bizarre to me.</p>
Not personally rankled. Just saying that one has to be careful how to phrase these things, as it is easy to end up implying that other kids are close-minded, or backwards, or what have you. Probably the best approach is to focus on how the travel/experience X changed you (“I used to be worried about being able to do things on my own, but I gained confidence that I could handle a potentially frightening situation when I had to blah, blah, blah.”)</p>