Anonymous wrote:More public universities should get rid of the counselor recommendations or at least shorten them to red flags or extenuating circumstances. It’s the private high schools that can do meaningful ones. Public schools typically don’t have the resources to do so and it’s sucks up a lot of counselor time.

I have kids in both and it is night and day. Private school counselors meet with juniors and seniors at least once a month. Meet with parents 4x a year minimum. They and the teachers write amazing college recommendations and really help with resumes and applications.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More public universities should get rid of the counselor recommendations or at least shorten them to red flags or extenuating circumstances. It’s the private high schools that can do meaningful ones. Public schools typically don’t have the resources to do so and it’s sucks up a lot of counselor time.

I agree. The counselors know nothing or very little about their students. It's pointless.

Agree.

Anonymous wrote:More public universities should get rid of the counselor recommendations or at least shorten them to red flags or extenuating circumstances. It’s the private high schools that can do meaningful ones. Public schools typically don’t have the resources to do so and it’s sucks up a lot of counselor time.

I agree. The counselors know nothing or very little about their students. It's pointless.

More public universities should get rid of the counselor recommendations or at least shorten them to red flags or extenuating circumstances. It’s the private high schools that can do meaningful ones. Public schools typically don’t have the resources to do so and it’s sucks up a lot of counselor time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's junior year was spent elsewhere than MCPS, but as soon as I enrolled him back again, the counselor sent him an email about meeting for college applications, since she had to write a letter of recommendation. They met the summer before senior year: he explained where he was in his college search and some background about himself - she said she was happy with the info and had enough to write a letter.

My college kid's counselor was new to MCPS her senior year and wrote the letter sight unseen. He sent an email to all of his kids saying, "Don't worry--I'll be sure to say something nice." I'm actually not sure she ever ever met him in person.

Yikes. How could she write anything remotely personal?

At our school, parents submit a 'brag sheet' so I guess he used that. I've assumed that the counselor letter is rarely personal-- that they are about how the kid's record fits the opportunities at the school, and that kind of thing. But I know nothing-- mostly drew this conclusion by the fact that she never really knew her prior counselor, either, so I'm not sure that earlier person (who'd left) would have been able to write a great rec, either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's junior year was spent elsewhere than MCPS, but as soon as I enrolled him back again, the counselor sent him an email about meeting for college applications, since she had to write a letter of recommendation. They met the summer before senior year: he explained where he was in his college search and some background about himself - she said she was happy with the info and had enough to write a letter.

My college kid's counselor was new to MCPS her senior year and wrote the letter sight unseen. He sent an email to all of his kids saying, "Don't worry--I'll be sure to say something nice." I'm actually not sure she ever ever met him in person.

Yikes. How could she write anything remotely personal?

^ there was no input on her part whatsoever, but perhaps that's because we'd already spent the summer working on his list of safeties, matches and reaches, he'd already thought about his personal statement, and could articulate why he wanted such and such a major.

Anonymous wrote:My son's junior year was spent elsewhere than MCPS, but as soon as I enrolled him back again, the counselor sent him an email about meeting for college applications, since she had to write a letter of recommendation. They met the summer before senior year: he explained where he was in his college search and some background about himself - she said she was happy with the info and had enough to write a letter.

My college kid's counselor was new to MCPS her senior year and wrote the letter sight unseen. He sent an email to all of his kids saying, "Don't worry--I'll be sure to say something nice." I'm actually not sure she ever ever met him in person.

My son's junior year was spent elsewhere than MCPS, but as soon as I enrolled him back again, the counselor sent him an email about meeting for college applications, since she had to write a letter of recommendation. They met the summer before senior year: he explained where he was in his college search and some background about himself - she said she was happy with the info and had enough to write a letter.

Anonymous wrote:My junior met their counselor briefly last year to review course selection. The counselor didn’t do it this year. Will there be a meeting to discuss college plans at some point? If so, when? Is it typical not to know your counselor?

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Absolutely not.

My junior met with hers in early January, I think. (Very brief meeting to go over next year's schedule.)

My oldest is in college and never had any deep conversation with counselor about college plans/applications. Some kids made special appointments but absent that, there was no scheduled time for it.

IIRC, there was a preparing for college applications meeting in June of junior year.

What school does your child attend? My junior met with her counselor already to go over course selection for next year.

I thought the college stuff would have started for the juniors but I guess not. I am not sure if they have individual meetings with the students to discuss college related things? In these big schools, I think it is typical to not know your counselor.

My junior met their counselor briefly last year to review course selection. The counselor didn’t do it this year. Will there be a meeting to discuss college plans at some point? If so, when? Is it typical not to know your counselor?