<p>Very interesting.</p>
<p>My senior class of approximately 500 is handled by 3 counselors. So I don’t feel it’s that bad. In addition, I’m on pretty good terms with my counselor and she likes me a lot. Compared to what I’ve been reading, like 1000 seniors to one counselor, I feel that my situation is pretty SUGOI!</p>
<p>my school- 2500 students, 4 councelors.</p>
<p>but uh, councelors at my school do funny things. like quote yoda in rec letters…</p>
<p>Wow my senior class is only 54 kids and we still have 2 counselors.</p>
<p>I really don’t understand why most schools refuse to hire more GCs. They are soo important!</p>
<p>Maybe most schools would rather spend the money on teachers: to lower class sizes, offer more AP courses, or hire/retain the best teachers.</p>
<p>I have had a terrible time trying to get my high school counselor to work with me, so I’ve been considering using a private counselor. Anyone else considering this? I found this article, but I’d be interested to hear what other people’s experience has been:</p>
<p>[When</a> to Hire a Private College Admission Counselor | myUsearch blog](<a href=“http://myusearchblog.com/the-benefits-of-hiring-a-private-college-admission-counselor]When”>When to Hire a Private College Admission Counselor | myUsearch blog)</p>
<p>my public high school has 1800 student and four GC’s
every year, you are supposed to have one meeting with your GC to talk about goals and scheduling and such…
I am half way through my junior year and my GC has NEVER called me down…you wanna know why? He coaches football, so his gc resposibilites get tossed to the side…</p>
<p>I plan on doing all the apps myself( I don’t have parents who will help me either, so i’m all on my own)</p>
<p>^^
Hmm… do most people get help from others doing their applications?
Nearly everyone I know does apps by themselves, save those few recommendation letters.</p>
<p>I volunteer at the high school to help students with their approach to college, college apps, financial aid, etc. I am appalled by the total absence of advising the kids get. I only get them in their junior year (if I’m lucky) or, more often, in their senior year.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what the counselors are doing with their time. I know when my kids were there the counselors never had a moment’s interaction with them.</p>
<p>It is very upsetting to see talented kids whose options are narrow due to lack of advising when they were freshmen and sophomores. It’s just a disgrace.</p>
<p>^^
Personally I think when you’re 17-18 you should know enough to figure it out by yourself. If you make a mistake-- well its on you, there’s no one to blame. I spent countless hours trying to figure out exactly what forms I needed to fill out and send in, and I slipped up and forgot to send in one of Pomona’s 1000000 forms… Sure it would have been nice to have someone remind me of these things, but in the end seniors should have enough responsibility to plan all of this themselves.</p>
<p>My older D’s guidance counselor had never had a student test with extended time. A school of 3500! THis is the exact day we decided the younger two were staying in private school all the way through!</p>
<p>At kids’ school they have grade deans (which act as a guidance counselor of sorts along with other dean like things), they have a school counselor to help with personal issues and then there are three college counselors divided among 135 students. As parents we fill out one questionairre kind of thing, the kids fill out another, plus they ask for a resume as well. I think they are rather thorough, but we’ll see where S gets into school! 
(Nahh… I am sure he’ll do great because she has been awesome)</p>
<p>I go to a public school, but we have small schools, so we have different counselors for each small school. They concetrate on schedules before the school year and are “senior counselors” pretty much for the rest of the year. What our counselor does is have an hour long interview with each student in addition to requesting a “profile” before writing our letter. In addition, each counselor has an assistant who is in charge of organizing all the things to be sent off to colleges and making sure students have things in on time.</p>
<p>richan90-its not that someone should help me with the apps per say, but i at least should have access to someone who can help me through the process, answer my questions, just give me some sort of informed perspective…generally GUIDE me(hmm…guide-guidance conselor-must just be a silly coincidence)</p>
<p>7 GCs for ~1670 students, divided by section of alphabet. Yeah, it’s tough to get attention - I keep in contact a lot though, email and in person, to check up on the process.</p>
<p>I live in Brooklyn New York, and I can only speak for this state. My guidance counselor and her entire staff sucks. Mine in particular is lazy and I have to constantly remind her of what I need to be taking, she is a horrible writer. I gave her a “brag sheet” 3 weeks ago and still haven’t gotten a recommendation yet. And just to prove how crappy she and her staff is my graduating class has 525 or so seniors and only 138 graduating. And guess what, this number includes “special ed”. Yes my school has some knuckle heads, but we’re in Brooklyn, across from the projects, you would think that the guidance department would take a more active role in the "guidance part of their job. Mine hasn’t even so much as told me about 1 single scholarship opportunity. THANK GOD I HAVE A MOTHER//!
I plan on becoming a guidance counselor and making it a point to work at that school, only to take her JOB and dip. Oh, for all you non New Yorkers- “dip” means to leave.</p>
<p>That might actually be a good idea, considering how much an actual guidance counselor won’t help you. Good luck with all you endeavors though.</p>
<p>As a daily reader of the NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) listserv, I must admit that I’m occasionally appalled by some of the comments and questions posted by high school guidance counselors, which suggest that these “professionals” are ill equipped to do their jobs. BUT … at the other end of the spectrum, there are some regular listserv contributors who are clearly the superhero guidance counselors that every school–and student–deserves.</p>
<p>One of these is Bob Turba,Chairman of School Counseling Services at Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Florida (Stanton Prep is a PUBLIC magnet school, not a private school). </p>
<p>He has painstakingly compiled “Bob Turba’s Cyber Guidance Office.” (See [Students</a> and Parents](<a href=“http://cyberguidance.net/]Students”>http://cyberguidance.net/)) It offers some material that is specific to Stanton Prep families and/or Florida residents, but, overall, provides a lot of terrific information that anyone can use.</p>
<p>Bob is also now helping counselors at other high schools to build guidance-department Web sites, so if you think that your own school officials could use a jumpstart, you can direct them to Bob’s Technology Training site at [Websites</a> | bobturba.com](<a href=“http://www.bobturba.com/eGO/node/12]Websites”>http://www.bobturba.com/eGO/node/12)</p>
<p>My public school has a sort of weird division. We have 7-12, so there are 3 counselors for 7th and 8th, 3 counselors for 9th and 10th, and 3 counselors for 11th and 12th. Divisions are by alphabet. I’d say that my counselor has about 230 students, but she’s the “big name” among the upperclassman counselors. She has the best info, and all that. So she has to deal with a lot of students and parents from other parts of the alphabet. But she’s really great. We’d had a whole week off for snow days so I had to ask her for a summer program rec the day it was due, in mid January when she was still dealing with some college recs, and she got it done and had delivered it to me at quiz team practice.
Counselors do both guidance and college counseling, but we also have a college information center. The people in there mostly help with test prep. They also do some stuff with scholarship info. The main thing is to make sure that your counselor knows who you are and will recognize you by name, in person, etc. Once they know you, they know you, and they’ll take care of what you need.</p>
<p>My school requires seniors to do self evaluations which includes an essay of sorts about yourself.</p>
<p>My school (public, but great, HS) does not have separate GC and college advisor, but I think it works great. </p>
<p>In our school, where 98% of grads go to 4 yr schools, the GC function includes what school am I going to. There is a group meeting in 9th grade The Road to the College or Your Choice The 9th grade GCs are about the road map, what do you need to get there. What classes. Does the child need to be evaluated for an special help? About 280 kids in 11th and 12th, two GCs split alpha. A couple group meetings at night re general background, finaid, and any changes (particulary helpful if older children, and parents need to know changes). My Ds GC has advised her re test prep, when to take, applications (2 safeties, more if financial safety is needed), treat your safety with respect, you may need it. She has relations with Admin staff at many schools, and is not afraid to call them and plead your case. We didnt need that so I told her dont waste your favor bank on my kid. She has lists of where every parent went to college, and frequently advised the top kids to tutor kids whose parents went to their top choices to get them an additional rec. She has list of where the HS alumni went, what their HS stats were, and how they are doing. She has returned my emails on Sundays. </p>
<p>The schools internet calendar has the key dates on it. Dates envelopes have to be given to guidance for recs, transcripts, etc. </p>
<p>The interplay between GC function and college advisor function is handled well. Any issues that might affect college admit, she will say we have to deal with this any things that wont affect she says dont worry. </p>
<p>Do I think she is great and the school great yes</p>