Meet with counselor at large public school

[Anonymous]

I recommended to my DD to meet with her assigned counselor (who carries 300 students) at her huge public school here in MoCo. She rolled her eyes at me and said that the counselors don’t know any of the kids and would be annoyed rather than write a better letter. I think it makes sense to personally introduce yourself to the person writing a key letter for your application.

Any wisdom from parents who have BTDT? Did you have your kids meet with their counselor once or just rely on the brag packet we fill out.

[Anonymous]

Counselor’s letters are perfunctory. A more personal recommendation letter would come from a teacher who knows the student well.

[Anonymous]

Our MCPS school counselor asked to meet with each kid once before writing the counselor letter, I think in the summer before senior year. If your child is a rising senior, it's fair to ask for a meeting (or ask if they will be scheduling meetings soon).

[Anonymous]

Have your child write a resume or letter explaining their interests and extra curricular activities and how they are connected. They should give it to anyone who they ask to write a letter of recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have your child write a resume or letter explaining their interests and extra curricular activities and how they are connected. They should give it to anyone who they ask to write a letter of recommendation.

This is good advice, but you need to tailor each to the recommender. You don't want them all regurgitating the same stuff in their letters.

I think only the counselor should get the resume. No resumes for teachers. They need to write very specific, personal letters.

This can all be done successfully in a public school.

[Anonymous]

This is why private schools with 150 students will send 40 kids to Ivies while a public might send 2 or 3 every couple of years with a class size of 500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why private schools with 150 students will send 40 kids to Ivies while a public might send 2 or 3 every couple of years with a class size of 500.

Typically around 10-12 each year out of 500 will go from a large public HS, not 2-3 every few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have your child write a resume or letter explaining their interests and extra curricular activities and how they are connected. They should give it to anyone who they ask to write a letter of recommendation.

At our MCPS HS, every teacher that wrote a letter had their own brag sheet that they wanted the students to fill out. Counselor also had his own.

[Anonymous]

You can submit your own letter or bullet points or ask fur certain things to be covered. The counselor letter is a joke from public hs . We asked him to note that AP Chem was not offered DSs senior year . DD got a new counselor at year. Woman had never met her. We sent bullet points.