Anonymous wrote:Inspiration is most important. The projects the kid took on on his own and how he presents them in the application. Standardized test scores in the subjects he likes best. Recommendations from adults who think a lot of him. Interesting and witty essays celebrating his interests and ambitions. Samples of his work, whether written, research, digital work, web sites he designed. The input of a school counselor matters little.

So, not sure about this...it is clear that rigor of classes and GPA matter enormously, virtually across the board, at all schools...standardized tests/class rank may or may not matter a lot, depending on the school (and, with everyplace test optional, who knows how much)...but I think for many schools, these are used for early round screens. After that, the items the PP listed probably start to carry more weight (as opposed to whether a kid got marginally higher scores or grades). But those threshold screens are, in fact, critically important.

Inspiration is most important. The projects the kid took on on his own and how he presents them in the application. Standardized test scores in the subjects he likes best. Recommendations from adults who think a lot of him. Interesting and witty essays celebrating his interests and ambitions. Samples of his work, whether written, research, digital work, web sites he designed. The input of a school counselor matters little.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another reason to hire your own college counselor and to collect your own recommendations for a Wilson senior.

A third party cannot submit the official transcripts, recommendations and school profile/write-up.

It's not actually as black and white as that here in 2021. You can submit transcripts sealed by the HS yourself to meet application deadlines. The HS can send an official transcript past a deadline if a counselor hasn't been on the ball. You can also have official transcript forwarded to a bona fide transcript forwarding service to send on well in advance of application deadlines. Even highly competitive colleges will accept transcripts arriving that way in this day and age. Colleges know that ratios of college counselors to students in public schools are nowhere near as favorable as they were for previous generations (around 1:125 in the 80s and 1:330 now nationally). The college already has the school profile/write-up, which changes little from year to year. They got it from Wilson in the past and also have it in a HS data service they subscribe to.

Don't sweat the counselor's role, it's less important than you think, as is GPA and class rank.

You’re saying role of counselor is on par with gpa? So what is most important?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another reason to hire your own college counselor and to collect your own recommendations for a Wilson senior.

A third party cannot submit the official transcripts, recommendations and school profile/write-up.

It's not actually as black and white as that here in 2021. You can submit transcripts sealed by the HS yourself to meet application deadlines. The HS can send an official transcript past a deadline if a counselor hasn't been on the ball. You can also have official transcript forwarded to a bona fide transcript forwarding service to send on well in advance of application deadlines. Even highly competitive colleges will accept transcripts arriving that way in this day and age. Colleges know that ratios of college counselors to students in public schools are nowhere near as favorable as they were for previous generations (around 1:125 in the 80s and 1:330 now nationally). The college already has the school profile/write-up, which changes little from year to year. They got it from Wilson in the past and also have it in a HS data service they subscribe to.

Don't sweat the counselor's role, it's less important than you think, as is GPA and class rank.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:seriously if you send your kid to wilson outsource the college counseling and stop complaining.

The school counselor has to write the recommendation. You cannot outsource that. Transcripts, etc also have to be sent by the school counselor. And there are plenty of low income kids at Wilson who cannot afford a private college counselor

They write the recommendations for all the kids in the school. What about having the teacher doing it?

NP but those recommendations are separate.

Yes, but colleges don't give a whit about recommendations from school counselors who barely know kids in big public schools like Wilson, those with under-resourced college counseling departments. Your kid should get a brief recommendation from a counselor to tick off that box, but you don't need to stop there. Your kid can always include a note with the college application stating that the counselor barely knows him or her, so s/he is including an extra recommendation from an adult mentor who does. No college will object to that approach. Admissions counselors know that students in tony suburban school districts with strong college advising and private schools have an edge where school recommendations are concerned. They still want to get to know your kid as well as possible to make an informed admissions decision.

You clearly have no idea how the process works so perhaps you should refrain from commenting and making suggestions on this thread. 12th grade counselors are an integral part of the process of applying to college. They write a recommendation + check off boxes for the student in many categories that are school based. They send the transcript and other items as well.

There are 13 colleges and universities in this area. Do you think that admissions officers don’t have kids and don’t read DCUM?

PP above is right that if a college counselor barely knows the kid, "recommendation" is too strong a word for what a HS provides to a college to accompany an application. Having the counselor check off multiple boxes to report rank in class, GPA, how the school weighs grades etc. only does so much for any particular application.

You can pick up your kid's transcript at the end of any quarter and send it to colleges yourself (no law prevents this), or use a for-profit transcript forwarding service. Some Wilson families take these steps. Colleges are far more interested in application essays, recommendations from adult mentors who really know the kid, standardized test scores, and achievements that can be documented (e.g. prizes won) than anything a school's counselor can add. Wilson is a known entity to college admissions officers all around the country.

How do you think homeschooled kids get into college? They're sunk without boxes checked off and transcripts sent by high school counselors? Untrue.

Anonymous wrote:Yet another reason to hire your own college counselor and to collect your own recommendations for a Wilson senior.

A third party cannot submit the official transcripts, recommendations and school profile/write-up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:seriously if you send your kid to wilson outsource the college counseling and stop complaining.

The school counselor has to write the recommendation. You cannot outsource that. Transcripts, etc also have to be sent by the school counselor. And there are plenty of low income kids at Wilson who cannot afford a private college counselor

They write the recommendations for all the kids in the school. What about having the teacher doing it?

NP but those recommendations are separate.

Yes, but colleges don't give a whit about recommendations from school counselors who barely know kids in big public schools like Wilson, those with under-resourced college counseling departments. Your kid should get a brief recommendation from a counselor to tick off that box, but you don't need to stop there. Your kid can always include a note with the college application stating that the counselor barely knows him or her, so s/he is including an extra recommendation from an adult mentor who does. No college will object to that approach. Admissions counselors know that students in tony suburban school districts with strong college advising and private schools have an edge where school recommendations are concerned. They still want to get to know your kid as well as possible to make an informed admissions decision.

You clearly have no idea how the process works so perhaps you should refrain from commenting and making suggestions on this thread. 12th grade counselors are an integral part of the process of applying to college. They write a recommendation + check off boxes for the student in many categories that are school based. They send the transcript and other items as well.

There are 13 colleges and universities in this area. Do you think that admissions officers don’t have kids and don’t read DCUM?

No clue what you are trying to say here

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By all accounts, the Wilson staff put in a Herculean effort and got all the LOCs in for all kids who needed it. Not ideal, but in the long run, those that stepped up may have done a better job than the counselor who was MIA (assuming he was MIA without good reason--which may not be the case).

If I ever had to be out for my job at a crisis period of time I would hope people would assume good reasons. Although it is no one’s business.

PP clicked submit too soon. Of course it is my supervisor’s business but I hope she would protect privacy as needed

Anonymous wrote:By all accounts, the Wilson staff put in a Herculean effort and got all the LOCs in for all kids who needed it. Not ideal, but in the long run, those that stepped up may have done a better job than the counselor who was MIA (assuming he was MIA without good reason--which may not be the case).

If I ever had to be out for my job at a crisis period of time I would hope people would assume good reasons. Although it is no one’s business.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:seriously if you send your kid to wilson outsource the college counseling and stop complaining.

The school counselor has to write the recommendation. You cannot outsource that. Transcripts, etc also have to be sent by the school counselor. And there are plenty of low income kids at Wilson who cannot afford a private college counselor

They write the recommendations for all the kids in the school. What about having the teacher doing it?

NP but those recommendations are separate.

Yes, but colleges don't give a whit about recommendations from school counselors who barely know kids in big public schools like Wilson, those with under-resourced college counseling departments. Your kid should get a brief recommendation from a counselor to tick off that box, but you don't need to stop there. Your kid can always include a note with the college application stating that the counselor barely knows him or her, so s/he is including an extra recommendation from an adult mentor who does. No college will object to that approach. Admissions counselors know that students in tony suburban school districts with strong college advising and private schools have an edge where school recommendations are concerned. They still want to get to know your kid as well as possible to make an informed admissions decision.

You clearly have no idea how the process works so perhaps you should refrain from commenting and making suggestions on this thread. 12th grade counselors are an integral part of the process of applying to college. They write a recommendation + check off boxes for the student in many categories that are school based. They send the transcript and other items as well.

There are 13 colleges and universities in this area. Do you think that admissions officers don’t have kids and don’t read DCUM?

There are more applications due and I for one would like to know if he’s back or coming back and the school is mum despite emails.

By all accounts, the Wilson staff put in a Herculean effort and got all the LOCs in for all kids who needed it. Not ideal, but in the long run, those that stepped up may have done a better job than the counselor who was MIA (assuming he was MIA without good reason--which may not be the case).

Anonymous wrote:Any update on the Wilson counselor? Did he show up?

Who cares if he showed up? It’s past the November 1st deadline now and everything can be done online. As long as transcripts and recommendation letters and counselor reports are uploaded the guy could be in Alaska and it wouldn’t matter.

Any update on the Wilson counselor? Did he show up?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:seriously if you send your kid to wilson outsource the college counseling and stop complaining.

The school counselor has to write the recommendation. You cannot outsource that. Transcripts, etc also have to be sent by the school counselor. And there are plenty of low income kids at Wilson who cannot afford a private college counselor

They write the recommendations for all the kids in the school. What about having the teacher doing it?

NP but those recommendations are separate.

Yes, but colleges don't give a whit about recommendations from school counselors who barely know kids in big public schools like Wilson, those with under-resourced college counseling departments. Your kid should get a brief recommendation from a counselor to tick off that box, but you don't need to stop there. Your kid can always include a note with the college application stating that the counselor barely knows him or her, so s/he is including an extra recommendation from an adult mentor who does. No college will object to that approach. Admissions counselors know that students in tony suburban school districts with strong college advising and private schools have an edge where school recommendations are concerned. They still want to get to know your kid as well as possible to make an informed admissions decision.

You clearly have no idea how the process works so perhaps you should refrain from commenting and making suggestions on this thread. 12th grade counselors are an integral part of the process of applying to college. They write a recommendation + check off boxes for the student in many categories that are school based. They send the transcript and other items as well.