Take Pity on Your High School Counselor!

Applying to College
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<p>Check out this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer on the typical high school counselor's workload: High</a> school counselors' daunting workload | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/14/2008 </p>

<p>Even if your counselor isn't responsible for more than 500 students, like at some of the Philly schools cited in the story, you can be sure that right about now 'tis the season for burning the midnight oil as application deadlines draw near.</p>

<p>So what can you do to help? Some guidance counselors ask students (or parents) to provide a "brag sheet" to help them with their recommendations.</p>

<p>In this case, don't submit a resume alone. Admission committees will see elsewhere in your application that you row on the crew team or sing in the choir. Instead, start by jotting down a list of adjectives that you think best describe you (e.g., "Mature," "Hardworking," "Creative," "Amusing," "Thoughtful") and then try to come up with at least one example or anecdote to support each claim. Draw these examples from recent history--i.e., school or community involvement--and not from your day-care center triumphs. (Even though it may still thrill you that you were the first in the "Bumble Bee" group to be toilet trained, this is probably not the evidence of "Mature" that you want admission officials to see ;)) </p>

<p>Your letter should also include any explanations of extenuating circumstances that you want colleges to know about. Did your grades suffer sophomore year when your parents got divorced? Did you skip from Spanish 1 to Spanish 3 because you studied on your own during the summer? Now is the time to "remind" your counselor.</p>

<p>Finally, if you have a specific major in mind--or a career goal beyond it-- you might want to use a paragraph or so to explain your choices. Again, cite examples, if relevant (e.g., mention a related summer job or internship, a class you took at the community college).</p>

<p>Even if your guidance counselor doesn't request any information from you, it's not a bad idea to offer it. Do be diplomatic. Tell the counselor that your aim is to be helpful, not to micromanage the recommendation. Chances are, however, that by the time the counselor is pecking away on reference number 347, your insights are going to be most welcome.</p>

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<p>I have a great relationship with my counselor and I know that she’s busy a lot of the time so I try my best not to overwhelm her. But, she knows how serious I am about college and is willing to drop everything if she sees that I’m in dire need of something.</p>

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<p>My school has 2700 students and 4 counselors. I certainly feel their pain.</p>

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<p>For current-juniors: give your counselors the info they need a few weeks into the year.</p>

<p>After the beginning-of-the-year rush (with schedule changes, new students, etc.), I turned in all my materials. I think only about FIVE students turned those in to the counselors (we have approximately 100 seniors to a counselor) BEFORE November. And then everyone started remembering their apps THIS MONTH and the counselors will probably have to work into their winter break.</p>

<p>(Same goes for teachers—you’re not their only students.)</p>

<p>Your counselors will do a lot for you, so it’s only right that you make their job easier by NOT turning in all your materials a week before winter break.</p>

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<p>This was a very helpful article/post, thanks!</p>

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<p>Many of the high schools in my state (Oregon) have implemented a program to help the students access higher education and training beyond high school. It’s a volunteer-run program, staffed with trained parents and other community members, who mentor students needing assistance with any or all aspects of higher education. We supplement the work of the (overworked) school counselors, who are each responsible for about 400 students. The program is called ASPIRE, and it’s been quite successful in helping students get into college and training programs, and in helping them find the financial aid and scholarship money to fund it. In these times of educational budget cuts, this is a very inexpensive program to administer. Instead of lamenting the lack of college advising in our high schools, we can step in and fill the need. Here is a link to the ASPIRE website.
[ASPIRE</a> - About the ASPIRE Program](<a href=“http://www.aspireoregon.org/about.html]ASPIRE”>http://www.aspireoregon.org/about.html)</p>

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<p>My school: 4200 kids and 8 counselors…its crap.</p>

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<p>We have only one counselor- she is responsible for grades 9-12. All 700 of us.</p>

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<p>Do any of you attend a public school where you have college counselors who only handle college advising, as opposed to guidance counselors, whose duties are generally far broader?</p>

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<p>Sally: we used to, but then we couldn’t afford college counselors. Now we have 5 guidance counselors who handle 2100+ students.</p>

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<p>Yikes! Guidance counselors have to be superheroes to do it all. Imagine dealing with probation officers and Princeton admissions officers in the same lunch period!</p>

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<p>I do! I attend school in suburban IL. Each student is assigned to a guidance counselor, then students are assigned to one of two college counselors sometime jr. year.</p>

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<p>Four guidance counselors for 1900 students in daughters school. The same counselor stays with the kids 9-12 grades. No college counselor.</p>

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<p>same thing 2000 kids 5 counselors, college stuff
is handled by the secretaries unless youre ivy
league material then they take an interest. Just
too busy. most kids end up at local colleges,
paying top dollar, big loans. the average poster
on cc knows more about colleges than these
guidance counselors - that said - they have
bigger issues.</p>

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<p>Daughters counselor has taken very little intrest in her. I assume she is just overwelmed. I sent the counselor an email notifying her that my daughter would be eligible for National Hispanic Recognition Scholar next year and she has never even heard of this honor. As a parent, I know I must be on top of all opportunites for my child. I guess she is just swamped. Luckily I have collegeconfidential.com</p>

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<p>we asked for info on the application fee waiver. They
didn’t have a clue. The web site has a space for grade
level college info newsletters - nothing on it. Also a
slot for local scholarships - zippity doo on that. the worst
part is that if you get involved as a parent they get mad
and make remarks to your kid that youre an overinvolved
parent. At 50 grand for a top private what do they expect.
our counselors are living like it was when they went to
college 20 years ago. The best you can hope for is that
they won’t screw it up. It’s actually probably best to avoid
them.</p>

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<p>speedo, I get the “overinvolved parent” looks at school whenever I am proactive about things that no one else seems to care about. We have online grades here. Last year we were 4 weeks into the semester and the Spanish teacher still had not posted any grades. I emailed him twice with no response and finally had to mention it to the GC. I was the only parent who had said anything. I also worry about the job the GCs may do with recommendations. Very few kids here go out of state. VERY few. It makes me wonder if the GCs really know how to write the type of recommendations that the top-tier schools are expecting. I just hope those schools understand where we are coming from here.</p>

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<p>Yeah… I go to private school, we have ~25 seniors per college counselor. I can’t believe how high some of these ratios are (>300 students per counselor!). I think it would be beneficial for both the counselors and the kids for the ratio to be lower (even if it’s not 25:1; 100:1 would be better than 400:1) unfortunately it’s definitely not financially possible for a lot of schools.</p>

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<p>Florida public schools are so underfunded. 25:1 sounds great. I’m curious what other puplic schools counselor to student ratios are.</p>

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<p>We have just guidence coucelors. Wait, we have a career councelor, who does exactly what it sounds like, careers only, no college help. 4 guidence councelors. One per class. I’m lucky on the aspect that I see another councelor instead of my grade level one due to person difficulties, so when it comes time for me to apply I don’t have to worry about the massive amount of students (or lack ther of with my school) applying.</p>