<p>I see all these posts about how people are talking to their guidance counselors at school and i'm wondering if i should do the same? Will they help me get into my dream college ? If so what year should i start talking to one</p>
<p>guidance counselors won't help you get into your dream college...all they do is fill out a form that has subjective and objective questions on it...most of the time, whatever advice they give is completely idiotic, or things you could figure out by thinking of corny things to say to people...their main goal is to help you get into college...they probably don't care about how good it is...although, it is a good idea to "get in with" counselors; start talking to them at least starting in junior year, if not earlier.</p>
<p>i had maybe two conversations with my counselor this whole year. neither of them involved college. </p>
<p>we'll see how that worked out in a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>I couldn't disagree more. If you have a good counselor they don't just fill out that form, they write a recommendation letter describing you, your activities, your personality, and the school in general so the admissions officers have a frame of reference when considering your application. Their goal isn't just to get you into any college (unless you go to a really lousy school), their goal is to hep you find the right college and get in there. Also, if you have something you are unsure about (what SAT II to take, when to take them, or anything else) they will know better than anyone else. My guidance counselor has definitely been one of my best resources in applying to college (infinitely better than CC, even)</p>
<p>when should i start talking to one</p>
<p>I maintained a good relationship with my counselor throughout high school. It's nice to have a good relationships. Although I doubt whether or not the counselor can get you into an ivy because his rec will be pretty generic. It's you the college want so it's your essay, ECs, service, awards, and etc that matter. The recs are along to reinforce what you have said about yourself, like a referrel if the college is skeptical if you are not portraying yourself 100% as who you really are. The recs can help but they are far from a deciding factor. A post by someone said that he got a rec from a Yale professor and still got rejected from Yale even though the professor talked of how wonderful he was and how he was one of the best students in the summer course that he took. Your personal traits have to match what your recs said but it is your personal traits that distinguish you, not the recs, even if the recs are godly shakespearean masterpieces.</p>
<p>It depends on the kind of counselor you have: I talk to my counselor once a week about scholarships and schools; my school stresses the need for senior guidance in this important stage.</p>
<p>i didn't mean to denigrate counselors...it's just that it is very important to not overestimate their own importance in the admissions process...however, their rec is, as bcjslugger and AY8888 said, their rec is important (in establishing you as a real person who could contribute to their school; don't expect them to write a tear-jerker for you though). start talking to your counselor about your ideas and goals for high school (if you catch my drift)...but don't expect them to be the ones handing you an acceptance to harvard...</p>
<p>start talking to yours as soon as possible, even if it's just to introduce yourself. your counselor may not be able to get you into harvard, but they can help you make decisions that will give you a much better shot at being accepted</p>
<p>The better you know your counselor, the better he/she will know you, and the better your counselor recommendation will be =) I was a bit frustrated with my counselors because my first one left the middle of my junior year because she was pregnant (she didn't come back), her replacement was only a temporary replacement (the school neglected to tell me that), and the one I have now I have only known since the beginning of my senior year. Soooo.... I didn't really get a chance to know her or for her to know me. She did write me a very nice recommendation, but I think it was because I spent about thirty hours in her office trying to figure stuff out for college. I definately think it is worth it to meet with your counselor early.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman in high school though...Wouldn't you think it is a bit early for me to talk about college to my guidance counselor?</p>
<p>Absolutely not... it's never too early to establish a good rapport with your counselor.</p>