<p>Have any of your children tried this and get a similar response?</p>
<p>So I emailed the college of my choices administration today because I had a question about what classes I should take next year (im a junior and course selection is next week). I kindly asked what they recommended and if they could offer any additional insight and/or advice. Although they replied quickly, the answer I received was basically "i dont want to be bothered". They said that there was nothing they could say besides read the website (which I did and mentioned in the e-mail) and to take the most challenging classes. Well my question was about that! </p>
<p>Maybe this is how all colleges would respond? Is this normal or is it rude? maybe im just being overdramatic but the whole thing just really turned me off.</p>
<p>If I were in the shoes of the Colleges, I would have responded the same way. Ignoring the 'liability' issues, they (via an email) have no way of knowing you, knowing what your school has to offer, your strengths etc...</p>
<p>While an innocent request, I think your request was unreasonable.</p>
<p>I wouldn't take it personally. I'm sure the person who responded didn't know much about you, and probably didn't know much about your HS either. In the absence of this information you couldn't rely much on their advice anyway!</p>
<p>Don't take it personally. It's simply not a question for a college admissions office. Try your GC or college counselor for best results. Or maybe if an admissions officer visits your school, you could ask then.</p>
<p>Asking a random ad-com that probably knows nothing about you or your school, much less the curriculum, is a bad, baaaaaadddddddd idea. Honestly, it's better that they didn't bother with it. If they actually notice your request, it certainly wouldn't look good; it gives off the chance-maximization attitude that they hate and might even indicate to them that you have little of the intellectual curiosity and daring they so desperately want in an applicant.</p>
<p>It would never cross my mind to ask a college admissions officer for this type of information. It feels so inappropriate! Aside from the fact (as someone else pointed out) that this is your GC's job, my personal experience is that choosing a high school course schedule is really not that difficult. I think it makes you look bad, quite honestly.</p>
<p>If you're a junior in COLLEGE, you should know by now how to get advice with course selection.</p>
<p>If you're a junior in HIGH SCHOOL, they're not going to be able to help you. Just make sure that with the courses you choose for next year, </p>
<p>1) you will have completed all of the colleges' requirements for admission</p>
<p>2) you will have completed all of your high school's requirements for graduation</p>
<p>3) you will have a rigorous curriculum (defined as five academic courses, including at least an AP or two if your high school offers them)</p>
<p>Sometimes, in the senior year of high school, students who find that they have completed some of the high school graduation/college admission requirements want to discontinue taking one or more of the five basic subjects (English, social studies, math, science, foreign language) in favor of taking an extra course in another field. For example, if you have completed biology, chemistry, and physics and have no particular interest in science, you might want to omit taking a science course your senior year in favor of taking two social studies courses (say, both AP Europen History and AP Economics). Or, if you have completed foreign language through level 4, you might want to drop it and take a different academic course instead (such as an extra science or social studies course, or maybe even AP Statistics in addition to your regular math course). Colleges do not seem to find this sort of thing objectionable.</p>
<p>Bad idea on your part. If they track their communications and this one gets linked to you when you apply, it will look like you chose your courses based on what "colleges want to see" rather than following your interests and passions.</p>
<p>If your guidance counselor isn't helpful, asking a few friends who graduated from your school and are now in college might have been useful. They've taken these classes at your school and know if they were good/challenging/helpful in college.</p>
<p>I wouldn't lose sleep about having called already....there are way too many other things going on for a college to create a tick mark for every "not such a good idea" call they get. </p>
<p>But, as thumper1 says, check the college websites..... (or ask us here on CC--no lack of strong opinions here!!!)</p>