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Writing About Your Child for High School College Counselors

This is the time of year when high school college counselors kick into gear and send parents a Student/Parent Form to give them a chance to write about their children. This is the counselor’s way of making parents feel a part of the college recommendation letter process and a way to give parents something to do (as well as filling in details so the counselor has something to write about).

Popular questions on these kinds of forms include versions of the following:

  1. List your child’s main accomplishments in the past 4 years.
  2. What are your child’s most outstanding personality traits?
  3. To what extend have you witnessed growth and development in your child in high school?
  4. What are your child’s future goals?
  5. What are your child’s most outstanding talents and qualities?
  6. Describe your child in five adjectives.
  7. Are there any unusual or special circumstances that have affected your child’s academic or personal experiences?
  8. Is there anything else we should know about your child?

SHOW DON’T TELL

Year after year our clients freak out over this, especially those parents who are not college-educated in the U.S. We assure you that this is not a test for you, nor is it a tipping point in your child’s college admissions journey. Think of this as adding “color” to the data the counselor already has such as teachers’ comments, grades, transcript, rigor of courses selected, and school-related activities.

When you write this for the college counselor, you want to SHOW (not TELL) – in other words, using anecdotes to indicate your child’s love of learning and describing instances when he/she took an interest to another level on his/her own initiative. So, if your student has kept a reading list since 3rd grade and continues to read 30 books a year outside of school to deepen his/her interest in all things related to American history, TELL that story. Try to include things that aren’t obvious to your child’s teachers.

Some KEY tips and tricks when prepping the Student/Parent Form for College Counselors:

  • Keep it concise – a page or two. Remember, they have to collect and read one for EVERY high school junior.
  • Avoid the pressure to impress – just be honest and give examples.
  • Show (by example), don’t just tell (listing out). Be super specific. Not just that she’s a team player, but show an example of that collaborative spirit.
  • Don’t overstate and think carefully before using words like “brilliant” and “gifted.”
  • Avoid excessive use of the all-too-common tag of “leader.”
  • Emphasize love of learning where you can and explain how and why.

Some college counseling offices will ask parents for a BRAG SHEET. We don’t like this term at all as it leads parents to write about kind deeds their child has done to highlight his/her noble character. This is not relevant to college admissions officers or really to your child’s high school college counselor at all.

TTA-College-Counselor-student

It’s fine for parents to include their student’s Activity Sheet (which is something we help ALL of our students craft). When you give this to the college counselor, make sure to indicate that the student will be sharing this info with colleges so you’d appreciate the counselor focus on your student’s love of learning (rather than simply summarizing extras), in particular, and then give details on how he or she has pursued his or her MAIN academic focus.

FROSTING THE CAKE

Your child’s guidance counselor is likely juggling a heavy caseload of students and certainly has more kids to write about than you do. You know your child well and have observed him or her over a decade and a half. Consider this ‘frosting the cake’ and utilize this insider knowledge to offer honest input and clear evidence of your child’s academic and personal qualities that stand out. That said, no need to feel pressure to be perfect or to attach 14 random certificates of merit. They believe you when you say your child has been in the Boy Scouts.

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