My high school counselor slighted me!

Applying to College
1

<p>My dad is an over-reactive parent who likes to know too much. He arranged a meeting with my high school counselor regarding colleges.</p>

<p>I was considering applying to Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Cornell, and perhaps NYU with some other colleges as safeties. Here's the run-down of my stuff:</p>

<p>Gender: M
Location: New Jersey
High School: Public
High School Type: sends many grads to top schools</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 4.00
GPA - Weighted: 5.30
Class Rank: top 10%
Class Size: 550</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT I Math: 780
SAT I Critical Reading: 780
SAT I Writing: 800
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC): 800 (Tentative)
SAT II Biology - E: 770
SAT II Chemistry: 770 (Tentative)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Significant Extracurriculars: Latin Club - F/So/J, Model United Nations - So, Key Club International - So, National Latin Honors Society - J, National Science Honors Society - J, History Honors Society - J, (Tentative) National Honors Society -J
Leadership positions: President of National Latin Honors Society - J/S, Camp Counselor
Athletic Status: JV Track - J/S
Volunteer/Service Work: 100 Hospital, 100 Camp Counselor
Honors and Awards: American Math Competition Contestant - J, National Merit Scholar Contestant - J, National Latin Exam Cum Laude - F/So, Certificates for Honors Societies</p>

<p>(Yes, I realize my EC is lacking.. I'm working on it this summer.)</p>

<p>Here's the thing. My counselor doesn't even know about my SAT scores. She said that it might be a good idea to apply to some middle-level schools as well. Then, she goes on naming kids I don't even know from two years prior that graduated to nondescript schools I've never even heard of. Prior to all of this she said that many students who apply to such top schools don't make it.. she rattles off a list of people who got rejected with 3.3-3.6 GPAs and test scores in the 1300's and 1400's. Once again, she does not know my score and knows little about me.</p>

<p>Naturally, I'm peeved. Now my father thinks it might be best if I honestly apply to some no-name school to save himself some shame. I think my guidance counselor did this with good intentions -- to avoid too many people from applying to top schools and killing each other's chances. I also don't think she deals with kids who apply to top schools too often, either. I don't want to confront my guidance counselor about it because I honestly think she's a nice person (and she thinks I'm a good kid) and wouldn't like ruining her opinion of me.</p>

<p>I guess this was just a big rant, but I don't know what to do. Now my dad doesn't want me to apply to any schools with an identifiable name. He thinks I've failed him.</p>

2

<p>Uh, how come you didn't tell your dad and councelor about your scores? I honestly fail to see your dilemma here. YOU are the one applying, not your councelor and not your dad.</p>

3

<p>ummm Elitist?</p>

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<p>Now let's get this straight: you have a 4.0UW, a 5.3 W (hard to believe you're only in the top 10%) and got a 2360 on the SATs, and you've failed him? You haven't even applied yet. Sit your father down and show him where you are in the continuum of applicants. He should see that your chances at each one are pretty good. It is a good idea to have a couple of safeties in your choices (they can still be big names though :) )</p>

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<p>i think guidance counselors are very conservative in their advice to avoid any possible backlash from students/parents.</p>

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<p>How are you only top 10% with a 5.3 weighted? I have to say that your school has massive GPA inflation if that is the case</p>

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<p>What is the point of this post? I'm so lost.</p>

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<p>Your safeties should be colleges that you would actually be pleased to go to, if you were rejected to all of your matches and reaches (and I doubt you will be).</p>

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<p>Thanks guys! I was sort of crushed since before I was feeling confident I had the credentials to get into at least some of the places I wanted to. I sat down and explained all of this to my father a while ago, clearly and level-headedly, and he seemed to understand. I was actually wondering if it was typical for counselors to be like that since I wasn't at all expecting anything of what she said.</p>

<p>Yeah, my school has a very strange GPA system (out of 5.7).</p>

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<p>Not to burst your bubble-as you are indeed a very strong candidate for the top tier universities---your counselor may be reacting to the large number of qualified students in this years applicant pool who were either rejected or waitlisted---check out "Tufts syndrome". I encourage you to follow your dreams and apply to schools you feel are good fits for the major you wish to pursue-or-if undeclared-then seem to match you as a person/lifestyle--as well as some "safeties". I was very disheartened to hear of the large number of seniors this year who applied to a limited number of schools-no real "safeties" and found themselves either rejected or waitlisted-with no acceptances. Have a "Plan B"-and hopefully you won't have to use it!</p>

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<p>btw your ec's are not that amazing, to be honest</p>

<p>honors clubs- much of the same stuff</p>

<p>you say significant, then say lacking....</p>

<p>read some posts on this site about some truely amazing kids getting rejected at "top tier" schools</p>

<p>look at what you want to major in, what type of school, locations, etc...your counselor was doing her job, telling to be sure and look at other schools</p>

<p>if she doens't know you that well, that is your fault, not hers</p>

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<p>and the use of "no name" schools comes across as arrogant, so you deserve what you get</p>

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<p>hold it hold it.. you have a 5.30 gpa and your counselor is telling you to apply to middle schools? Is she on crack?</p>

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<p>oh.. lol out of 5.7, i didnt even think that a 5.0 was possible. Well, its still well off i think. Your sats are good. Apply where you want to apply, dont stress over your parents. Just make it in one ear and out the other and apply where you want to.. When your parents see where you got accepted to, they will change their mind. Trust me.</p>

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<p>talk to ur principal and get the counselor fired</p>

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<p>Wow, isnt that kind of extreme? My counselors at school are like his [full of bs] but I mean, my school cant afford to fire them. He has one more year left with them and then he is out. Just um.. suck it up and dont use them as a resourc [thats what i did, i avoided them]</p>

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<p>Ignore the counselors. Most (as determined from general consensus) have no idea what they're talking about...</p>

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<p>citygirlmom: look at what you want to major in, what type of school, locations, etc...your counselor was doing her job, telling to be sure and look at other schools</p>

<p>if she doens't know you that well, that is your fault, not hers </p>

<p>*and the use of "no name" schools comes across as arrogant, so you deserve what you get *--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is completely uncalled for. The guy has perfect grades and a 2360/2400 on the SAT. I think you are just jealous of the guy. </p>

<p>and no...a counselor's job is to know what the GPA and SAT score of the person they are advising--his counselor obviously does not. And you don't know what he means by no-name schools--for all you know his counselor may be telling him that he's not good enough for a state school.</p>

<p>The reason most people want to go to ivy league school is so that people imagine they had the academic profile of this guy. God forbid this guy should think he should be applying to one.</p>

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<p>I really don't think I've ever seen a positive post abot a counselor on this website. I'm glad my counselor didn't have much to do with my college selection; judging by these posts, he probably would've told me to just get a job.</p>

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<p>You are a whiny brat. Applying to only prestigious schools is a dangerous game. Your counselor reccomending that you apply to some safety schools is not "slighting" you. Give me a break, and get it together.
Also, the people telling you to ignore your counselors is stupid. Believe it or not, the vast majority of counselors know more about the process than we do.</p>