Not applying anywhere ED for financial reasons

[brantly]

Just my two cents’ worth, but is this last point realistic or is it just a kind of urban myth?? If a kid has straight A’s in school and has the combination of brains and/or work ethic to get a 35 ACT score, how often is this kid going to get a sub-par recommendation from a guidance counsellor? Wouldn’t the vast majority of GC’s be shouting this kid’s praises from the rooftops, particularly since one often hears about counsellors generally overpraising other smart (but not tippy-top) students?

Um, it happens. Kids who are arrogant, not nice to the counselor, bullies, grinds with no personality. The LOR may not be terrible, but it can be bland. AOs know how to read between the lines.

Also, I was asked to assist a high-scoring, High-GPA student with his essay. It was terrible. He really did not know how to write well or how to present his ideas. I tried to inspire him to improve it and provided guidance. He made it better, but it still wasn’t very good. He got rejected outright from Tulane.