Do private school college counselors already know ED results

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in a top 10 private hs (in the USA not dmv) and our counselors no longer do “counselor calls”. They do write letters and they’ll help strategize w deferrals. They know what each college wants.

They rarely know before kid knows, at least not immediately. To the extent that we get emails, “make sure you tell me the college result. I’m invested”

They’ve told us about the olden days when they’d have weekends - top feeders and top AOs. Our HS said they were yucky but effective - and on balance it’s better without them.

Why don’t they do this anymore?

DP. The college landscape has changed.

When did it change and why? Was it because of Covid or something else?

Same concept as removing legacy advantages.

[Anonymous]

Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

Could this backfire?

[Anonymous]

^^How so??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

You guys have no idea how this works. Hysterical…This does not happen.

However, kids who really want to go to a certain school and have very pushy parents or a very organized outside counselor will make sure the kid has a few bullet points or strategic questions to ask the counselor and to drop their name. And follow it up with an email. Obviously all questions should not be easily Googleable


P.S. The teacher recommendation thing though is real. If you are at a highly selective private, or a public with a very very well-known teacher (ask senior parents), it behooves you to figure out who’s getting those recs… you don’t want your kid applying to any school where that kid applies with that recommendation.

[Anonymous]

“There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years.”

I wonder if this turnover plays a larger role in the lack of predictability since Covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years.”

I wonder if this turnover plays a larger role in the lack of predictability since Covid

If you ask our private school college counseling team, they would say it does. They would also say that these very young regional AO have very little sense about the differentiation between high schools.

High schools that spend a lot of time on the road end up benefiting the most

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years.”

I wonder if this turnover plays a larger role in the lack of predictability since Covid

The highly selective schools have a blurb about each high school along with historic admitted GPA averages that they use.
They are also were able to look up first semester GPA’s of recent matriculant’s from your kids high school.

It’s really why if you fall far outside the averages, your kid really has no shot of even being looked at in committee. It’s not really holistic admissions - unless you meet the min requirements (historically used for your school).

A good CCO can be a huge differentiator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

You guys have no idea how this works. Hysterical…This does not happen.

However, kids who really want to go to a certain school and have very pushy parents or a very organized outside counselor will make sure the kid has a few bullet points or strategic questions to ask the counselor and to drop their name. And follow it up with an email. Obviously all questions should not be easily Googleable


P.S. The teacher recommendation thing though is real. If you are at a highly selective private, or a public with a very very well-known teacher (ask senior parents), it behooves you to figure out who’s getting those recs… you don’t want your kid applying to any school where that kid applies with that recommendation.

You haven’t read “Creating a Class.” It does happen at some places. Definitely not at my public school and probably decreasingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

You guys have no idea how this works. Hysterical…This does not happen.

However, kids who really want to go to a certain school and have very pushy parents or a very organized outside counselor will make sure the kid has a few bullet points or strategic questions to ask the counselor and to drop their name. And follow it up with an email. Obviously all questions should not be easily Googleable


P.S. The teacher recommendation thing though is real. If you are at a highly selective private, or a public with a very very well-known teacher (ask senior parents), it behooves you to figure out who’s getting those recs… you don’t want your kid applying to any school where that kid applies with that recommendation.

You haven’t read “Creating a Class.” It does happen at some places. Definitely not at my public school and probably decreasingly.

You're citing a text from 2007? The admissions process has changed significantly. Things that mattered in the past carry no weight now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

You guys have no idea how this works. Hysterical…This does not happen.

However, kids who really want to go to a certain school and have very pushy parents or a very organized outside counselor will make sure the kid has a few bullet points or strategic questions to ask the counselor and to drop their name. And follow it up with an email. Obviously all questions should not be easily Googleable


P.S. The teacher recommendation thing though is real. If you are at a highly selective private, or a public with a very very well-known teacher (ask senior parents), it behooves you to figure out who’s getting those recs… you don’t want your kid applying to any school where that kid applies with that recommendation.

You haven’t read “Creating a Class.” It does happen at some places. Definitely not at my public school and probably decreasingly.

You're citing a text from 2007? The admissions process has changed significantly. Things that mattered in the past carry no weight now.

💯

[Anonymous]

I'm the college counselor again w/the long post on the first page.

THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN - market the top candidates - omg. You have no clue what you are talking about.

On a different note, loved the UB/YBM shout out. I didn't know it was shut down!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

You guys have no idea how this works. Hysterical…This does not happen.

However, kids who really want to go to a certain school and have very pushy parents or a very organized outside counselor will make sure the kid has a few bullet points or strategic questions to ask the counselor and to drop their name. And follow it up with an email. Obviously all questions should not be easily Googleable


P.S. The teacher recommendation thing though is real. If you are at a highly selective private, or a public with a very very well-known teacher (ask senior parents), it behooves you to figure out who’s getting those recs… you don’t want your kid applying to any school where that kid applies with that recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the college counselor again w/the long post on the first page.

THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN - market the top candidates - omg. You have no clue what you are talking about.

On a different note, loved the UB/YBM shout out. I didn't know it was shut down!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor said he can make calls but they don't generally matter. He said this is more and more true as the people he calls are people he doesn't know very well or really at all.There was a time when a regional AO was on a territory for a long time and really got to know a school and counselor. Now they'e on for maybe two years. Common for our school to meet the regional AO for the first (and sometimes only) time when he/she comes to the school. These jobs are super underpaid. Apparently one could jump the ladder to the dean of admissions, but our head counselor only does that in the off season if no-one got into Stanford or something.

He's been a head counselor for a v long time at a well known private.

I also know there is one teacher's recommendation at our school that is very influential. One my kids was assigned to the the head counselor one year and I asked why that seemed to be and he said by that point the application is in the room and is being discussed, the dean may ask if any kids out of this pile had a recommendation from x teacher (he only writes two per year). If so, that kid usually gets in. Again, a teacher who has been with the school over 35 years.

Hopefully the school counselors are taking the opportunity to market the top candidates from the school when the regional reps come to school and the kids are in the room. Any and all opportunities should be taken.

You guys have no idea how this works. Hysterical…This does not happen.

However, kids who really want to go to a certain school and have very pushy parents or a very organized outside counselor will make sure the kid has a few bullet points or strategic questions to ask the counselor and to drop their name. And follow it up with an email. Obviously all questions should not be easily Googleable


P.S. The teacher recommendation thing though is real. If you are at a highly selective private, or a public with a very very well-known teacher (ask senior parents), it behooves you to figure out who’s getting those recs… you don’t want your kid applying to any school where that kid applies with that recommendation.

What doesn’t happen?? Not clear.
The teacher recs being unequal?

[Anonymous]

I think the CC above is trying to say they don’t actively market some kids over others to the regional college reps visiting a school.

However, this runs counter to what everyone claims-that kids are compared first and foremost to those applying from the same school. So how can they not be compared??? Can’t have it both ways!