Common App question about counselor designation

[northcoast]

On the Common App only 1 counselor can be listed.  DS took 4 classes at local high school, two regular classes & two dual credit that have outside transcripts from the institution awarding credit which is not the high school.  So high school wants to be listed as the counselor because they want to do everything online.  DS is not graduating from the high school; his diploma is coming from us.  

-So if I list the high school counselor as THE counselor, what is going to happen?  I assume I will need to mail or email our transcript to the colleges being applied to.  

 

-Will everything work out if I do things this way?  

 

-What sort of info will be asked of the counselor?  

 

-Do I need to be concerned what the high school may do or not do?

 

The high school has never had a homeschool student before with this process.  As much as I think I should be listed as the counselor, I am afraid the high school will not send a transcript if the request does not come from the Common App request.  I have no problem sending our info separate if that is the only way to get the high school to send what I need them to send.   And is it true the Common App will only send stuff to schools once everything is received?  DS has one school with rolling admission.  I want DS to get that app in this week even if I don't have a transcript from the high school or letters of recommendation.  Thanks!

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

The counselor is responsible for the school profile, the transcript, the counselor recommendation and the mid-year report (including the mid year transcript).  That is a lot to hand over to the high school just because they want to submit transcripts for a couple courses online.  

 

When DS1 applied last year, I was the counselor.  I wrote a school profile that addressed his homeschooling experience, including online and dual enrollment courses.  I created a transcript that covered all of his coursework.  I submitted a counseler letter from a position of actually knowing him and his educational journey.  

 

If you are issuing the diploma, then I think it's probably best if you are the counselor.  Work with the high school to make things as easy as possible for them.  Even though the Common App permits online transcript uploads, there were still some schools that need a hard copy transcript sent, so the school must have some mechanism for doing this.  Maybe if you provide addressed and stamped envelopes for them to fill and send?

 

You might also want to ask them for a student copy of the transcript and upload it as one of your documents.  It could go in as a scan with your transcript or as a separate document (I think you have 4 slots to upload documents).

 

If you look at the Common App Compilation thread from last year, you will see more about the counselor functions.

[northcoast]

Thank you!  I hadn't realized I would be required to do a mid year report or do a counselor recommendation.  You have provided good suggestions!   Now I will go look at that thread you suggested.  I admit I didn't fee like wading through it last night. 

 

[EKS]

You need to be the counselor if he is graduating from your homeschool.

 

I had paper transcripts sent from the b&m schools my son attended in high school.  You can also get the high school to give you however many copies of the transcript that you need in unaddressed sealed envelopes (with their seal or whatever over the seal) and you can address the envelopes yourself if it helps them out.

[JeanM]

The counselor is responsible for the school profile, the transcript, the counselor recommendation and the mid-year report (including the mid year transcript).  That is a lot to hand over to the high school just because they want to submit transcripts for a couple courses online.  

 

When DS1 applied last year, I was the counselor.  I wrote a school profile that addressed his homeschooling experience, including online and dual enrollment courses.  I created a transcript that covered all of his coursework.  I submitted a counseler letter from a position of actually knowing him and his educational journey.  

 

If you are issuing the diploma, then I think it's probably best if you are the counselor.  Work with the high school to make things as easy as possible for them.  Even though the Common App permits online transcript uploads, there were still some schools that need a hard copy transcript sent, so the school must have some mechanism for doing this.  Maybe if you provide addressed and stamped envelopes for them to fill and send?

 

You might also want to ask them for a student copy of the transcript and upload it as one of your documents.  It could go in as a scan with your transcript or as a separate document (I think you have 4 slots to upload documents).

 

If you look at the Common App Compilation thread from last year, you will see more about the counselor functions.

 

 

I'm not the OP, but this is helpful to me too. Thanks! I'm off to look at the Common App Compilation thread, although I'll admit to being a bit nervous about diving in there.

 

My ds's guidance counselor at the public school offered to write the counselor letter for him, even though he is officially a homeschooled student. Now I'm glad that I decided to write the letter, since it sounds like it would have been difficult to have her as a counselor. I guess she could have written it as an additional letter of recommendation, but that's different from the counselor letter (I think).

 

[northcoast]

After calling the #1 college on my son's list, they agreed I should be the counselor of record.  I then found email addresses for the 4 universities so transcripts can be electronically sent by the local high school.  I just now sent a letter with my son to the high school requesting transcripts to sent.  So, I hope the transcripts get sent soon.

[northcoast]

I hope I am not putting the cart before the horse.  My son has not finished all of his questions to the schools he is applying.  But I want to get as much done as possible figuring it wouldn't hurt to get transcript requests done even though that is not happening through the Common App.  The schools assured me that everything received will go in one file.  The order of arrival doesn't appear to matter to the schools in which ds is applying.

[Joules]

I'm not the OP, but this is helpful to me too. Thanks! I'm off to look at the Common App Compilation thread, although I'll admit to being a bit nervous about diving in there.

 

My ds's guidance counselor at the public school offered to write the counselor letter for him, even though he is officially a homeschooled student. Now I'm glad that I decided to write the letter, since it sounds like it would have been difficult to have her as a counselor. I guess she could have written it as an additional letter of recommendation, but that's different from the counselor letter (I think).

 

 

Have your ds invite her (through the Common App) to write an additional letter of recommendation.  Some schools accept as many as five, so it's good to have them in the Common App.  Once she has written and submitted it, he can attach it to any application he chooses.  

 

You, as the counselor, can submit multiple transcripts on the Common App.  It may help to submit a PDF scan of the official transcript from the other high school with your counselor stuff.  You can also have the school send it in paper form, but sometimes pieces get separated.

[JeanM]

Have your ds invite her (through the Common App) to write an additional letter of recommendation.  Some schools accept as many as five, so it's good to have them in the Common App.  Once she has written and submitted it, he can attach it to any application he chooses.  

 

You, as the counselor, can submit multiple transcripts on the Common App.  It may help to submit a PDF scan of the official transcript from the other high school with your counselor stuff.  You can also have the school send it in paper form, but sometimes pieces get separated.

 

Great advice, thanks!! I'll have ds talk to his counselor when school starts.