<p>We got two calls tonight from schools that hadn't yet received letters of recommendation or transcripts from my daughter's GC. She sent the info to her GC in December and heard back on January 4 from her. </p>
<p>Clearly, GC didn't send anything yet, and she won't even be in tomorrow. This isn't the first time she's messed up with us (DD has a twin sister) but I never imagined this was possible! </p>
<p>This daughter is applying to nursing programs and they are always very competitive and I just feel sick about what just happened to her prospects. (both for admission and for merit money). What can I do?</p>
<p>Go straight to the principal…get the transcripts faxed while you watch and the principal begins writing a recommendation letter (I’m pretty sure the common app form says principal or guidance counselor). Bring a resume of your daughter’s EC’s and interests–letter form written by her is even better (“I’ve always wanted to be a nurse since…”). Then go back to the principal’s office and let them know you’re going stick around until the recommendation letter is sent (faxed).</p>
<p>And have them include a note mentioning that it was THEIR mistake that these things weren’t sent on time, so that your D’s schools know that your D didn’t flake.</p>
<p>Another problem: this is a small school. There may be no one else who can access the GC’s computer to get to the transcripts. </p>
<p>Also, the letters were already written and should have been sent by the GC. One of the teachers who wrote a letter is out because a family member died. The other one is around and should be able to send her letter directly but she is always very busy.</p>
<p>I would still go to the Principal’s office and as Schmoogoo said have them send everything out. Someone can get on the gc’s computer even if they have to call her at home to get her password. I’m sure the principal will be appalled at what has happened. The gc should have sent the transcript and recommendations back in December. Good luck!</p>
<p>Principal. Now. Surely he has an emergency number for the GC and can phone her and have her send him the evaluations and transcripts as email attachments this second. The access codes to reach student info must also be available to him and to other administrators. Be very, very nice about it, but also very firm, as per Schmoo above. This is awful, but it can be fixed! If the very busy teacher’s letter was sent to the GC via email, this can also go out immediately via the principal. And it’s not even as if you’re going over the GC’s head or behind her back – the dear woman won’t be in tomorrow, so you had no choice but to go to the principal, as you’re positive that surely the GC would want this taken care of ASAP because she’s been so wonderful to D (except for this one tiny glitch…) Good luck!</p>
<p>Slow down, it is not as serious as everyone is making it out to be. </p>
<p>First of all you don’t know if the GC did not send the information as they are still going through the mounds of mail that was delivered over the holiday (there was also no mail service yesterday). The letter and the GC information could have just missed each other in the mailing (which is not an unusual occurence).</p>
<p>Have the GC contact the school directly when she is back in the office and the school will give an update.
If the school is on commom app, GC can just upload the information when she is back in the office on Thursday. If it is a rolling admission, GC can call the admissions rep, send the information via fax and follow up with the hard copies via mail.</p>
<p>Don’t be nasty (off chance that something slipped up like kid was supposed to initial a request form or pay a transcript fee or missed other hurdle) but DO be at the school tomorrow when the doors open and stay until this is resolved.</p>
<p>Were these sent via the common app? The GC and teachers were “invited” to send their forms by the common app. The GC and teachers only had to do this letter once and it was sent automatically. It could very well be that these forms were completed, but there’s a glitch in the system somewhere. Could be common app, could be the GC’s / teacher’s formatting. The schools are only saying they didn’t receive anything, but it may be “stuck” in the system, like D needed to confirm something.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine a teacher/GC not realize the deadlines this time of year.</p>
<p>Our son’s GC seems to have sent her paperwork only to the EA schools, which reminds me I need to ask my son if he’s gone and talked to her. As others have said, it’s not an emergency, but of course you do want to make sure it gets done.</p>
<p>My first thought was to say, “Don’t panic, it probably just crossed in the mail or was a Common App glitch.” Then I re-read the OP’s post. TWO colleges called, and it’s not only the recs, it’s the transcripts - my understanding is at this point most schools still have to send transcripts via snail mail. Adding to that, I don’t think the colleges would bother to CALL if they hadn’t already waded thru their piles of mail and sorted them. So I’d bet the paperwork really isn’t there.</p>
<p>I would be at the Guidance office, very politely, tomorrow, but I would very politely not leave until I SAW the stuff faxed with my own eyes. The head of Guidance should be able to help. If not, the Principal. Smile, say you’re sure it was a mistake and you understand how busy they are, but if they don’t mind you need to ensure that this is corrected TODAY so that everyone is happy.</p>
<p>had the same thing happen to me. i tried contacting her all through winter break, because she told me everything was sorted out before break. </p>
<p>my GC messed up, but once she contacted the colleges, somehow everything worked out. im so sorry to hear about ur story! =[ but stay patient. i agree with the parent thing. once she read my correspondence b/w my unis about how it wasnt my fault, she stepped up to the plate. </p>
<p>but make sure you stay on top of things. all the time. seriously. </p>
<p>Called 7 of the 8 schools (eighth is in a different time zone). 2 HAVE received materials, 2 aren’t sure (still uploading) and the 2 who called last night say they will check again and call back.</p>
<p>Still haven’t heard back from GC but she may have sent everything (when?) and it may be taking a long time to process. One school said they were one and a half weeks behind in data processing.</p>
<p>Does your GC have a secretary? If the GC is out talk to her secretary - nicely of course. She probably can tell you what is going on.</p>
<p>Don’t panic - this is really a (too) common occurance and the colleges know it. It won’t reflect badly on your daughter.<br>
Have your daughter be assertive and stay on top of it all. If you have to, get the principal involved.</p>
<p>JustAMom’s suggestion is spot on. Back when the kids were in the app process, the secretaries were the folks who knew when materials were sent. And I always made sure to thank them after the whole process was over with a flowering plant or something similar.</p>
<p>Even if the GC did send the materials to the two schools that phoned, it would be good if the hs could FAX copies addressed to a specific person you’ve talked to in the college admissions offices who is waiting to receive the docs and put them in your D’s folder. It sounds as if they have your D’s folder fully assembled except for the missing documents, and may be ready to consider her. Better to have this happen early in the process.</p>
<p>Finally spoke to the GC. She says she mailed them all the first week of January, USPS. The two schools who had called me said that their mail might still be in process. She said she would call those 2 schools tomorrow to try and clear things up. </p>
<p>A third school told me on the phone today that they were absolutely sure that they hadn’t received the transcript and recs and that all their mail had been processed. They called back a few hours later and said they were mistaken and had received all the materials. Whew. </p>
<p>I feel that the GC has been exonerated at this point. She explained that this can happen, as the schools receive many large bags of mail that take forever to process, and aren’t necessarily processed in the order received. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and moral support. Because I was able to vent here, I didn’t go ranting into the school today and say things that I would regret. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Our hs puts everything in a sealed envelope and has the student mail it (they used to mail things themselves but the budget can’t pay for postage any more). I mailed everything with “tracking,” it was all delivered by the USPS very quickly but it took up to 2 weeks for the colleges to sort it and indicate that they had all D’s stuff (either via postcard or via updating their website).</p>