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Our school had a meeting for parents and Jrs. to start planning for college. We we told to bring our parents. Boy was that a mistake. The counselor told us that SATs weren't important and in his 20 yers had never heard of student not getting into a school they wanted in because of them. Proceded to make it clear that starting at a CC was the way to go to save money or if you really wanted he had info on the state colleges. My father twice broke in to correct info about state schools that he had wrong. OK I guess I know I have to overcome that guys help if I am going to get into a college next year.

By Congocross (Congocross) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 01:32 am: Edit

That is a funny story. I went to two different high schools and both places the Guidance counselor sucks ass, excuse my lanuage but they do. They are just a bunch of people who could careless and the student have to do everything themselves. Man, after high school graduation the first thing on my list is to kick my Guidance counselor in the nuts.

By Peach (Peach) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:15 pm: Edit

omg that is so funny. I'm LMAO.

By Kalitiha (Kalitiha) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 01:26 pm: Edit

I think most guidance counselors suck ass, unless they're at private schools and then I've heard they're better. My entire college process has been on my own, my counselor knew nothing about the East Coast schools I wanted to apply to, he never had the forms I needed, and I had to constantly correct his mistakes on school reports and applications. But, he is a nice man, it's just that he's mostly had to deal only with state schools and CCs. The counselor before him was pure malevolence. Mike, buy one of the books "The Dummy's Guide to College" it can give you helpful advice, buy a guidebook to colleges.....anything published by the Yale Daily News is a pretty good bet. But mostly, just know what the application requirements for your school are so that you don't miss any deadlines and you have everything done.

Too bad it's been my experience that guidance counselors lead people astray more often than they provide guidance.

By Mike (Mike) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 01:59 pm: Edit

My Dad has done a good job of reseach. I gave him a list of my interests and he started finding collleges that met the requirements. He saves them in a favorite places folder on his SN and then I read them when I have chance. If I like them I leave them and if I don't I deleate. SO far I have 9 keepers and will be visting 4 over break. Have already seen my in state safety.
My parents have also told me what help I can expect so I kind of know what the limits of where I can look.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 02:59 pm: Edit

Mike, your Dad has done pretty much the same thing that I've done. He's more of a realist than me because I'm being a total ostrich about finances. (I grimly figure that if we have to take loans, we'll take loans.)

My daughter's HS GC's are just as bad as those already described here: the know the state schools, the CC, and the CC-to-state transfer route and they're pretty underinformed after that. And they almost sneer about "robots trying to get into" the highly selective schools. I had to correct a couple of bits of egregious misinformation they were giving out at the 11th-grade parent meeting.

One of the GC's is someone who didn't make the cut for positions in the regular advisor's office but she couldn't be fired because of tenure and seniority.

By Smiley (Smiley) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 04:14 pm: Edit

Mine's pretty good...except that I sometimes feel she tries to run our lives (telling me what classes I must/cannot take, telling me what schools I should want to go to (even if I know I don't), etc.) Oh well... at least she really cares

By Congocross (Congocross) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 04:16 pm: Edit

If is better to have one that cares a lot than one that does not care at all. Smiley, is your school private or public?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 04:53 pm: Edit

Things like classes and schools should be open for genuine discussion, imo.

My daughter's transcript would like nicely polished if she had an AP science course...she's given me good and valid reasons why she wants to take the courses she wants senior year and I'm shrugging and accepting. At some point, if everything you do is controlled by the admissions game, you've really surrendered your life, neh?