<p>Some schools I'm applying to require a guidance counselor rec with one or more teacher recs. I have great teacher recs, so I'm not worried about that. However, I go to a tiny private school, and the counselor knows us inside and out. The bad thing is, we can't stand each other. </p>
<p>I did really badly my first two years of high school, and in my junior year and now my senior year, I'm doing really great (all A's, AP classes, awards/internships... the works). But she still just sees me as that kid who belongs in a community/state college and always discourages me from applying anywhere else. </p>
<p>I have a 3.5 GPA and a 2100 SAT, leadership positions, volunteer service, journalism experience... but she still acts like she's wasting her time every time I ask her about college requirements or applications.</p>
<p>I'm nervous she'll write a really bad letter for me, and she'll check the box that says she recommends me "without enthusiasm" or worse.</p>
<p>My teacher evals are great, and so are my supplementary recs, but will her rec kill my chances, especially at a selective school?</p>
<p>Counselor evals are usually just used as a "final checkup" to make sure you're not some brilliant but illegal hacker or something - since the adcom knows that most counselors have a lot of students to get through and they probably don't know them all personally or as well as the teacher rec, which they take into much greater consideration... so unless your counselor says something along the lines of "Although Susie has high SAT scores, I have reason to believe that it was because of a CHEATING ring she started...", it won't impact it that much, lol </p>
<p>If it really bothers you that much, go TALK to your counselor and TELL her that you can handle a top university/college, despite her misgivings. I hate the counselors who discourage you to apply to any school: Worst-case scenario? You get rejected, big deal, and life goes on! If you don't apply, there'll always be that "what if..." :)</p>
<p>And I'd piggy back onto that by saying just talk it out. Tell her your ambitions about goin' to a great college, and she'll probably change her mind. Not all adults are scary. Except for my counselor.... lol</p>
<p>what if my counselor is really dumb?
I had a friend who graduated a few years back, she was valedictorian and she got into Washu + $10k/year...and my counselor told her to go to state school...plus, I don't think he thinks I'm smart because I only got 185 on PSAT (I did better than that on the real SAT)</p>