When should GC write letters?

[thumper1]

There have been a number of threads started recently dealing with having GCs write letters explaining "something" about the college applicants profile. I thought I'd start a thread on what folks thought WOULD be appropriate things for the GC to write about. Here are two that actually will be included for DD.

1. DD could not be in the honors math track until this year due to the size of the school and scheduling conflicts with her other honors and AP classes (and she was recommended for it each year AND signed up for it...).

2. DD completed honors Spanish 4 demonstrating level 4 completion of a foreign language. She took only Spanish 3 and 4 in HS, having fulfilled the Spanish 1 and 2 requirements as a MS student. (BTW....this is something our GCs have to do frequently for the kids who complete Spanish 4 but do not elect to take Spanish 5. With DS, the college was looking for at least a level 3 of proficiency. The reality is that Spanish 4 would be a senior level course for someone beginning Spanish in 9th grade).

Any other things that the GC might be asked to address??

[carolyn]

If there's a temporary drop in grades for a specific reason, that's something the GC should address I think. My daughter's guidance counselor, for instance, will mention that the temporary drop in grades during my daughter's sophomore year was due the aftermath of her friend's suicide. She will also point out that the grades went back up (actually even higher) during junior year. I think this is important to mention because that one semester looks really odd on my daughter's transcript and because of it her GPA doesn't really reflect the grades she's received every other semester.