<p>1:333 Public......and that's probably overestimating the help available to people thinking about really good colleges. One kid in my class, who has a mediocre GPA and a 27 ACT, was told he would be a "shoo-in" at UIUC Engineering, then told he should also apply to UChicago (doesn't even have an engineering program). Now the counselor has him sold on SIU-Edwardsville, which is on the other extreme. Crappy school, but the counselor's here are somewhat of the "just go to the cheapest place, in state, CC, whatever" type. They know little if anything of elite colleges, and are almost willfully ignorant of elite school fin. aid packages. They stare at me like "umm how are you gonna pay for that?".</p>
<p>80-100 students in each grade (9-12), around 20 in 12th plan to go the US each year. The Guidance Counselor is a teacher for Grades 9 & 10, and knows practically every student in the school very well.</p>
<p>MY small private school has a 1:21 ratio for seniors. I spend time in her office almost every day and expect her rec to be one of my top ones. I, along with all the other seniors, love the attention we get without even asking.</p>
<p>I go to public school with about 1250 kids and there are 7 (all 9-12) GCs, 178-179 each GC, but in the fall they almost exlusively focus on the senior class(300, so about 1:43) and the spring, the junior class. For a public, the GCs are pretty knowldgeable and very accessible, that is i don't need to schedule an appointment to see mine, and i have had a good amount of long (around an hour) discussions with my GC.</p>
<p>about 4:1200</p>
<p>or 1:297 for my class....</p>
<p>private, 6:200
all of them are very qualified...for instance, my counselor was a financial aid officer at columbia before working at my school</p>
<p>Interesting thread & replies. </p>
<p>For our private, it's one college counselor for the school, & she focuses on only jrs. & srs., but i.m.o., it is definitely not enough. 120 in the 2 classes combined. One could say, well, that's 1:60 for seniors, but the planning process needs to start in Jr. Yr. by the latest, because that's when visits are planned & often done, & when research & self-search needs to begin. For tuition paid, this is not sufficient, i.m.o.</p>
<p>There is NO separate guidance counselor or academic counselor. Another bad idea, i.m.o.</p>
<p>More appropriate ratios are posts 2, 5, 11, 31, 39, 63, 83, 86.<br>
And I agree with having distinct college counselors not privy to info that a student wants kept confidential.</p>
<p>Regardless of ratios, teacher opinion & info is invaluable. If I were Head of any school, I would insist that my teachers of Seniors become informed about one area of specialty in college searches, concentrating on the academic strengths of colleges that may duplicate the teacher's field and/or personal interest. Teachers spend a lot of time with students & have an idea as to learning styles, personalities, fit. This has a direct bearing on college choices. College counselors have a different function & have not the time, usually, to develop a "specialty" in the college search area.</p>
<p>At our school teachers are too often hired with the view to what sport they can coach; that duty is added, without compensation. I've always thought that's stupid, not to mention a poor way to choose a teacher. The "extracurricular" duties of teachers should more closely fall within their academic areas, unless they're volunteering otherwise. Coaches should be chosen & paid for separately, i.m.o., but that's another rant, not for this thread.</p>
<p>12 counselors for about 2100 students. My grade has about 600 students, so... that's about 50 students per counselor in my grade. Not bad. Except-- they assign it all by ABC order, so this means that all the kids that have the last names : Liu, Li, Lee, Ling... etc... have one counselor. Same with Wang, Wong, Wu, Zhao, Zhu, Zhang, Xiang, etc. And the C's also have a lot of asians-- Chung, Chang, Chan, Chen, Chiang, Cheong, Cheng, Chu, Chi, etc. Which probably puts the asians at a slight disadvantage...?</p>
<p>i go to a public school and there are about 12 counslers for 1700 kids total, so about 1 for every 140 kids.</p>
<p>1:500</p>
<p>Large public school. Excellent school, horrible counselors.</p>
<p>Basically I had to coach mine through everything. She hadn't heard of Brandeis (where I got in ED... which she advised me not to do), Tufts, Dartmouth, or William and Mary. She also continuously told me that I was wasting money (I got an almost full scholarship) and that I should go to UGA instead. She didn't know my name or my schedule and I NEVER met with her about my letter because she wouldn't allow it. It was definitely just a form letter.</p>
<p>2 Counselors for 600 students, 120 seniors.</p>
<p>1:1, homeschooled.</p>
<p>354 kids in the high school
2 counselors
1:44 per class</p>
<p>I go to a catholic High School and there are 2 guidance counselors for 320 students.</p>
<p>public school: 1 counselor for 2800 students; 600-650 seniors.</p>
<p>private school 2 counselors:120 seniors</p>
<p>independent school 3/~175
That's just for college counseling. There are faculty advisors for each student to handle other issues.</p>
<p>One College Counselor for entire HS (about 900 students); one grade level counselor/grade (to help with advice about courses, etc.); about 225 students/grade 9-12. This is an elite, college prep HS with many kids going to top tier Us & many NMFs. Parents & students are expected to figure out a lot on their own.</p>
<p>Public school.
Middle School + High School=1 counselor.
Roughly 800 kids. </p>
<p>it's a very sad situation. our counselor can't really be bothered to do much to help seniors with the college admissions process-he spends most of his time trying to keep students from dropping out/getting expelled.</p>
<p>Public School--6 counselors/3 secretaries--about 800 students in the high school, 180 seniors. It's okay, I suppose. My guidance counselor does a lot, but he usually leaves the paperwork to his secretary; I meet with him practically every other day cause he's a big fan of keeping in touch and knowing what everybody is thinking of doing (but I'm pretty sure he only does this for his top students cause he always calls me down with his three other kids in the top or near 10% percent and they're the ones that are usually in there whenever I go see him). I don't really find it that useful though, but he's always there for questions/revising essays/checking over apps. However, before the last half of junior year, I don't think he even knew who I was.</p>