I recall reading somewhere on these boards parents talking about going to see their child’s HS guidance counselor early in Senior year. My impression was it was a good idea to discuss your kid’s college plan and let them know how different they might be from “regular” college applicants they’d usually deal with. I’ve searched but can’t seem to find those discussion anymore.
So now I’m wondering if anyone can tell me what you might specifically need to discuss with your kid’s counselor? Is it just the sheer number of transcript copies that might need to be sent out, given the higher number of schools BFA kids are usually looking at? Or is it other documents that might be needed earlier than usual? Any other items that might need to be discussed (maybe time off for auditions?)
Thanks in advance for any help offered to this newbie!
Former BFA admissions rep here. I love this question! Definitely ask when you’re visiting programs what the different schools WISH counselors knew.
Definitely prepare them for the large number of schools… Most counselors have no idea about that, or the additional rec letters, resumes, etc. that many programs require. Another thing I remember is that many counselors would contact me trying to get “inside information” about a student’s chances of admission, both before and after the audition. Others didn’t understand why Early Decision was not always compatible with the audition calendar. Still others had issues with all the stress and uncertainty that comes with being waitlisted.
That’s all I can think of right now, but if I come up with anything else I’ll be back.
D was in regular communication with her guidance counselor last year, so much so I was afraid she was nagging. However, D applied early to top choices and wanted to ensure her transcripts were sent and recs completed by deadlines. She communicated with attendance about days missed for auditions. It was never a problem. Her HS didn’t count college-related absences as absences. Good luck!
I got in touch with my son’s guidance counselor a few weeks before senior year to make sure he understood the process, the time frame, how many schools S was applying to and to basically make him part of our team. S had the transcript request forms filled out before school started (our school still does all requests on paper) so that the guidance counselor could get those out before he was hit with the onslaught of requests from everyone else. S also had a few schools which required a guidance counselor recommendation so we made sure the counselor knew to be prepared.
The other thing we worked with him ahead of time on was attendance because we knew S would quickly hit the limit of excused absences. The guidance counselor was then able to be proactive with the other administrators to get approval for all the time off S needed for both auditions and accepted student visits.
I don’t know how it is at other schools but at our school, our counselors are stretched way too thin with more work than is reasonable. I really tried to be communicative and proactive both to be respectful of the counselor’s time and other job responsibilities so he knew dates/deadlines/requirements and could handle them as he was able to find time and also to make sure that it was the one part of the application process we didn’t have to stress over too much. During the school year, S was the one who communicated with him as needed.
We feel very on our own when it comes to this stuff. Son’s counselor has been doing this job for a while but doesn’t seem to have a handle on what it means to be primarily looking at conservatories. Despite our repeated attempts to communicate on this topic, the counselor still kept pushing liberal arts schools and approaching the admissions topic from the usual SAT / GPA framework.
My daughter’s school had excellent counselors, if you were applying to academic schools. We had to really walk them through the BFA application process. One thing they won’t understand is the number of schools, the other is the “composition” of your child’s school list. It’s pretty amusing actually because they really want to offer good advice but it’s hard for them to see Pace University (for example) as a “reach” school for a good student or understand why your kid won’t consider your state flagship. Her school’s counselors were really supportive, just kind of clueless. My D only did Unifieds so absentee policy wasn’t an issue but we did let them know in advance when she’d be out of school for auditions and that it wasn’t optional but a required part of applying.
Thanks everyone for your responses. I will go into our first meeting now much more informed.
My impression is that the counselors at our local high school are, like many, doing great work but also probably spread a bit thin. I suspect my son’s GC has limited exposure to kids trying to get into BFAs, so we will indeed have to explain about numbers, early dates and so on, though I am sure she will be as supportive as she can be.
Thanks again for all the input and tips. Much appreciated!
@BFAbff I didn’t notice your reply till after I just posted above, which is hard to understand given that you were the first to reply! (I really do find this new layout a bit odd at times).
But just wanted to give you a special thank you for giving an answer from “the other side”. It’s so helpful that you are around these boards giving guidance to us parents navigating this tricky new terrain.
Speaking of which, wow, it never occurred to me that school GCs might actually call BFA admission reps to get inside information on their students’ prospects or perhaps press their case. I guess it’s nice they want to help but I imagine this only adds to stress on reps who might already be fielding calls from many students and parents at a very busy time.
Was your impression that these GCs were doing this on their own initiative, or had they been requested to do so by students/parents? And might this be something to discuss with the GC, as in perhaps very nicely suggesting that they might resist the urge to place such calls on your child’s behalf?
I think a little of both, actually. Some were just following up on their students’ applications and making sure we didn’t need anything else from them. But there were definitely a few who claimed that the parents were breathing down their necks about it. One even made sure to tell me something like “these are very affluent people who are used to getting what they want, when they want it.” Um, okay? Let me march right down to the Acting program head’s office and tell them a rich person is being impatient, so hurry up already. Because THAT will go over well.
I do think this is the exception rather than the rule. Most GCs are lovely and just not used to this crazy process, or the daunting numbers involved. Unless yours seems to be really chomping at the bit, I don’t think you need to preemptively rein them in. Hope that makes sense!
@BFAbff (cute name, btw) Thanks so much, that does make perfect sense. From what I’ve heard, chomping at the bit doesn’t really describe the style of our school’s guidance dept, so we should be all good.
It’s a shame the admissions process has got like it has and that it should lead to calls like the one you got. Seems like the system pushes people to their limits in terms of patience, leading to stress for everyone involved. I just hope I can remember to breathe deeply and send out kind and loving thoughts to everyone we deal with once we get into the thick of it!!
