Throughout their high school years, seniors have been able to confide in their counselors and trust them to write their letters of recommendation for college.  The counselors have been present every step of the way to offer advice in selecting the classes that would best fit a given student’s needs and interests.  Unfortunately, the CHS counseling staff has been reduced this year.  This drastic change greatly impacts the college letter of recommendations process.  Many seniors must now ask their new counselor, whom they have never met, to write a letter that should describe their character and make a lasting impression on a college admissions officer.  This gives the seniors a disadvantage as the letter from the new counselor may lack personal details and be strictly based on test scores and records.

College admissions officers hope to gain insight about potential students through the letters of recommendation. They do not want to read generic paragraphs about a student’s academic performance; rather, they are looking for anecdotes that attest to his or her character and interests.  The admissions officers want to ensure that the potential student is the best fit for their school, and the insight this counselor letter provides is imperative.  Counselors who do not know their students well enough cannot write these descriptive and personal letters of recommendation.

“I was sad when I found out I did not have the same counselor,” said senior Lexi Wyshak.  “She knew me since I was 13 and I want my letters of recommendation to be more personalized.  Now I feel that I will not get that.”

Through letters of recommendation, colleges want to understand who a student is outside of the academic realm.  They search for individuals who would be unique additions to their campus.

With a new counselor, many students will not have the time to develop a personal relationship. It is impossible for a counselor to have a strong bond with a hundred students in only two to three months.  Although the counselors will do their best to accommodate every senior, it is nearly impossible to reach the same level of mutual understanding as with the previous counselor-student relationship.  These students will have to take the initiative to clearly specify what they want highlighted in their letter in order to establish a well-defined college application.  It is extremely important to thoroughly complete the counselor questionnaire through Naviance in order to assist the counselors as they write the letters. Though the counseling staff is doing its best to adjust to the situation, the absence of a counselor will indeed be felt. •