Help with the Counselor Letter

[Brigid in NC]

There has been very helpful information recently about what the total "package" for college apps should consist of. Thank you ladies. It is so helpful to see the sum total of the materials -- especially for those who have been through the process very successfully -- in a tidy list! :)

 

I am stumped about the "counselor letter" and wondered if anyone could give me specific pointers about what to include in this. I assumed that the list of my ds's classes would be a separate document -- but maybe not? What goes in the counselor letter?

 

I have looked in prior posts, in files of other homeschooling forums, and on the internet, and the only examples of actual letters I have found look like letters of recommendation (strengths of the student). I have trouble believing that colleges want this type of letter from a parent -- but is that what is being sent?

 

Thank you, thank you for any help with this. I am stressing and procrastinating, because I don't have a model to work with.

 

~Brigid

[FloridaLisa]

I know that there have been posts on this, either on this forum or the old boards. Good question.

 

:bigear:

 

Lisa

[Gwen in VA]

What we did......

 

I used the counselor letter to provide a personal recommendation of my child. The school profile provided an overview of my child's eductional path and the course descriptions gave an overview of what he actually studied/learned/did in high school, and the activities page gave an overiview of outside/nonacademic activities, so the counselor's letter was just a personal recommendation from me.

 

I tried to provide some personal insights that teachers might not have -- and I tried to back my statements up with real-life examples.

 

I'm not going back to look at my letters, but some examples --

 

1) Dd's determination to find outlets for her interest in history leading to wonderful volunteer opportunities

 

2) Dd's curiousity -- being bothered by some physics lab results and doing research and resdiscovering some principle or other that was WAY beyond the scope of the course -- and her constantly running off to get the dictionary or encyclopedia during meals to look things up.

 

3) Dd's discomfort with public speaking -- and how she realized how she needed to conquer it and so she joined Toastmasters and did debate to overcome it.

 

Use words like passion, enthusiasm, curiousity -- make a list of positive traits that your child has, make a list of examples or situations that have demonstarted that trait, and then smoosh them teogether into a cohesive whole.

 

Another way of looking at the counselor's letter -- what makes your child tick? Helping others? Leading? Curiousity? Art? My son's passion is analyzing arguments -- and that showed up in various ways in almost every pararaph (debate, dinner table conversations, work in CAP, etc all related to analyzing ideas)

 

We also used the letter to mention characteristics that she/he have that would fit in well with the college (loves discussion for a college that is heavily seminar-oriented, for examples).

 

I also stated right at the beginning that I am a parent so i am not unbiased -- I figured that acknowledging the bias up front would actually help with credibility.

 

 

This note is poorly organized -- I'm sorry. I'm trying to get dinner on the table and wanted to answer it since I won't have another opportunity until later tomorrow.

[danielle]

We recently had a session with an admissions coach and two things he said really stuck out: be sure all "challenges" are the kind a college wants, and that the dc has solved them positively (i.e. don't confess anything negative about your child--don't try to be "balanced") as Gwen in VA demonstrates. Also, he said that colleges still think of hs kids as being a little weird, socially, so whatever you can do to demonstrate "plays well with others" will serve to allay fears.

Danielle

[Jane in NC]

Bumping another thread from last fall because it might be useful.

 

:lurk5:

[Musicmom]

Jane, thank you SO much for bumping this thread and the School Profile thread. We're in the midst of the Common Application now and this is so helpful. :001_smile: