GC’s main job, at most public schools, is to make sure students graduate from high school. They handle discipline problems, emotional problems, IEPs, testing, scheduling. I met my daughter’s GC when they registered for school (transfers) and at one conference for one daughter because of teacher issues. I realized then she wasn’t going to help with college.
The GC’s (there were 4 for 1600 kids) were pretty good at the requirements for the state public schools, knew a few bits about the private schools, and for the rest would help if they could. They didn’t know anything about the schools my kids picked. For the state schools, they sent the transcripts all at the same time, electronically. For other schools, we ordered the transcripts and picked them up in sealed envelopes at the office.
What are you wanting? A sit down to discuss colleges? Strategy to get into great schools? I don’t think it is going to happen. Each of our GC’s had about 400 students to schedule, counsel and try to get out of high school, and about 50 of those were trying to get into college (about half the seniors didn’t go to college but chose the military, trade school, community college, or just going to work). There was no special attention, just group meetings mostly about state schools…
I don’t know, I’ve read stories of GC’s practically doing everything but write your essay, though they did edit essays.
If you read about those kids getting into all 8 ivies or getting million dollars in “scholarships”, it seems their GC’s dedicated a lot of their time to those students though there were hundreds kids in schools who needed counselors for more serious issues like mental health, drugs, family problems, poverty, sexual issues etc or at least needed guidance to get into or get money for any one college.
Of course, no sane person would expect it for every student but there should be more than what is usually offered at public schools.
OP, I’d suggest you put some focus on the political process that funds your public schools. I think this question is somewhat theoretical for you anyway – you clearly have a lot of interest in the college process, and will make sure your kid gets the guidance they need. If you want everyone else to get good counseling – make sure the public schools are funded so they can afford more GCs.
You are at a highly competitive school in Texas, right?
Give the GC some slack. They are no doubt smart (they almost all have a graduate degree, right?)
Their main job is high school: schedules, keeping kids on track to graduate, keeping them in school and then more schedules. They are not college prep counselors.
Ours is very busy and D has only gotten to know her in the past 6 months. D and I have done most of the necessary legwork–how on earth would she be able to research affordability and fit for the 500 kids on her roster?
Their MAIN job is to make sure the kids satisfy the graduation requirements,…so course selection is their number one job.
In addition, they send counselor recommendations to colleges, and complete any part of the application materials kids need to submit.
In our school, the GC met ONE time with kids and it wasn’t until the start of their senior year when my kids were there. Now it’s at the end of junior year…to talk about post high school plans.
ONE TIME.
@WorryHurry411 it sounds like you are expecting a LOT more from your GC. What exactly are you expecting? That question has been asked of you NUMEROUS times…with no answer.
ETA…the year our kid graduated from HS…several kids got accepted to multiple Ivy and equivalent colleges. They saw the GC exactly the same number of times as my kid did for college planning…ONCE. Oh, and one was first generation whose parents didn’t speak English well. She got accepted to several Ivies, and Stanford.
Believe it or not…kids smart enough to apply to these highly competitive schools are smart enough to get the info they need to do so.
Ditto what everybody says above. My kids GCs met with my kids once a year to discuss next year’s schedule except for the Junior year meeting. That meeting parents were invited to and questions about the college selection process could be asked.
In addition, the HS counceling office sponsored several night meetings during the year that discussed FAFSA and the college admittance process for any interested parent or student. They did not have the time to spend individually but tried to impart generic advice and knowledge, and gave us the names of other reference materials.
Since they had over 600 students in the class, they did the best they could and yes, students and their parents were expected to do a lot of the work.
And adding…we were also invited to attend the GC meetings… it since they were all of 15-20 minutes long…we didn’t. But we did help our kids if they wanted help…to prepare a list of questions to ask. Neither used it!
Both got accepted to college.
But @WorryHurry411 you aren’t telling us what you THINK the GC should be doing and how much time YOU think they should be spending.
But most important…are you asking for YOUR kid?
Here is another piece of free advice. Our GCs would schedule appointments with students who requested them. The kid needed to appear ON the guidance office and make an appointment with the scecretary.
Oh…and not in the fall except for seniors. Right now…fall semester…the GCs are doing their jobs…helping seniors get their college application materials together.
Not JUNIORS…seniors. JUNIORS could make appointments spring if their junior year.
I always wondered why colleges require recommendations from overworked guidance counselors when they may see a student only one time a year and a teacher would see them 180 times a year. It just didn’t make sense because the guidance counselor probably wouldn’t even know my child’s name if they passed in the hallway.
In the end I realized that the guidance counselor recommendation is only required because the GC is the only one with access to the 4 year discipline record. A calculus teacher in junior year may not know that the student had been suspended 4 times in sophomore year but the GC would know. Other than discipline issues, if I were a college admissions representative I would ignore the recommendation from the GC.
The stories I’ve read about multiple Ivy kids usually involve a standout kid with a major hook, No indication that the GC did any more than they do for any other kid. As someone said, those types of kids are smart enough and focused enough to get everything taken care of.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread. The OP has asked a (very vague) question, refuses to answers the questions posed to him/her, and simply argues with each answer that is given. So, I’m not sure what the value added here is.