Our Meeting With High School Counselors

All too often HS counselors are focused on getting their numbers up - they're trying to get mediocre kids into mediocre state schools. They do NOTHING to help truly gifted kids understand their full potential or the importance of thinking big. They should absolutely NOT be part of US News and World Report rankings. Horrible idea.

Tina H. of CA 3:10PM March 02, 2009

I have twins who are high school seniors in 2 different high schools. One has the intense good fortune to have a counselor who devoted immeasureable to to interviewing my child, discovering strengths, weaknesses, preferences on the most finite detail (eg weather preferrences!), goals, fears, etc. She was determined to write each 'counselor recommendation' as personal and accurate as possible. She spent her wkends in the summer visiting campuses....all that she could have done to provide well-informed 'guidance' to the students and their families. Her twin was not as lucky! Her counselor used a form letter as her counselor recommendation and offered EVERY student the SAME ADVICE.....we learned this when the children and their parents began comparing the schools to which they applied.....ALL OF THEM APPLIED TO THE SAME SCHOOLS!! Wow, were we upset! This counselor limited their potential by limiting their knowledge of possibile college/student matches. To make matters worse, none were top schools and these students are all in a gifted NYC high school!! When I confronted the counsselor with my frustraitons, I was told that she was only a part-time counselor and that her time was shared with her classwroom responsibilities.....Of all the places to skimp in the education process, THIS is clearly NOT the right place. The students' lifes ate shaped/defined by their college experiences and opportunities-to imagine that a fatigued teacher with such a limited knowledge base is 'GUIDING' our children is frightening....especially as many families face the financial burdens associated with college. TO ALL COUNSELORS OUT THERE: THE STUDENTS (and US PARENTS!) TRULY RELY UPON YOU IN GUIDING OUR CHILDREN and having a vital hand in SHAPING THEIR FUTURE....KUDOS to those who give it their all and shame on those who treat it lightly and with indifference.

Lou of NY 6:11PM February 09, 2009

Nice list of questions. What did these bright, caring high school counselors have to say in reply?

bob Horton of TX 5:01PM February 09, 2009