<p>always: completely understand your hesitation to address this; just know that if your daughter has already committed to a school, the waiver does not still hold; you can read your recs as soon as the process is over…</p>
<p>While we’re still chatting on this subject, I’ll say a couple more things:</p>
<p>rodney - excellent point about the confidentiality. But I wonder if there’s a chance that things like semester and end-of-year reports could still get sabotaged by this nasty person. It’s sad that she still has so much power!</p>
<p>BUT I will say that with our situation, we did have a few people on our side, including the principal and superintendent, and they did all they could to patch up the wounds AND protect my D from more harm. Alwaysbelieve says that the principal is understanding: I would ask that someone else be in charge of the rest of the tasks for her D’s transfer to college. In our case the principal immediately allowed our D to do her end-of-year evaluations in the class in question by another teacher and has gone out of his way to check with us to make sure no further harm has been done. We’re also very sure he is watching the teacher in question like a hawk.</p>
<p>Things are so terribly political, and I know sometimes the kids don’t want us to be involved, either. I think my D in her case learned both that people cared and wanted to help her AND that she had a responsibility to advocate for herself and rise above. That was a hard process to manage, for us, and we’re definitely not over it yet. Good luck.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m feeling very combative today, but to alwaysbelieve and emmybet: you exercise SOOOO much more restraint than I do. Especially in cases where kids are vulnerable, there is no excuse for adults to take advantage.
With regard to number of apps, I completely understand cases like mosb and emmybet, where kids are put through the paces of the audition process and only a handful are taken into any given program. If that were my child, I’d be the first to cast as wide a net as possible.
But sometimes my impression is that there are kids who apply methodically according to the USNWR rankings…Parents using tutors excessively, everyone trying to game the system. It just feels insincere and irresponsible. These same parents are the first to bemoan guidance offices that are too overburdened to attend to the needs of their children.
End of rant.</p>
<p>First, congratulations to everyone on their acceptances!</p>
<p>The more I hear about these crazy GCs, the more I am convinced that this whole college entrance process has spun out of control. Not only is it a huge industry but I am speechless at how political and petty it can be.</p>
<p>Holy Batman!!! University of Texas Austin PLAN II HONORS COLLEGE!! Her reach, her “dream program” WE ARE DONE!!</p>
<p>collegeshopping - How wonderfull! Congrtulations!</p>
<p>Was it an envelope, e-mail, on-line status ?</p>
<p>YAY!!! I love great news like this!!!</p>
<p>Plan II came by envelope (Fat…lol) and UT earlier this month by online status. The acceptance said it would not reflect online.</p>
<p>Way to go collegeshopping!! Time to change your screen name to acceptedwe’redone!</p>
<p>Congrats to Madbean and S!!!</p>
<p>Ohiomom, welcome to the tippy top stats looking for merit $ club.</p>
<p>Alwaysbelieve, what a great outcome! Very happy for you and your D and very sorry she (and you) had to endure the GC nightmare.</p>
<p>Collegeshopping, a thousand yays! Wonderful news!</p>
<p>Congratulations College Shopping! That’s great news. You need to go celebrate.</p>
<p>collegeshopping: that is wonderful. Are you instate? I have friends in Texas who tell me horror stories about the competitiveness of getting into UT. I love Austin.</p>
<p>Good news here in our small little neck of the woods. We have a Cotillion for Achievement that honors the top 10 boys and top 10 girls in a two county area (about 12 high schools.) It’s was founded many years ago by a group of wealthy families that wanted a way to give back to the community. Pretty intense application process based on leadership, academics, extra-curricular and integrity/ethics, plus LORs.</p>
<p>Found out today that our son is one of the 10 finalists. Now he will spend January-March with the other students in community service, learning community history as well as social graces and waltz lessons for the ball. All 20 get $1,500; the top boy and girl after interviews get $2,000.</p>
<p>Guess I have to learn to waltz, lose 30 pounds and found a new dress by March!</p>
<p>OWM- sounds wonderful! congrats to your son!</p>
<p>OWM, that sounds so fun! (Not the losing 30 pounds part, but the rest of it.) Congrats to your son on a terrific achievement!</p>
<p>
rodney, are you sure about this? I have asked about a hundred sources (on cc, at colleges, at high schools, lawyer friend, etc) and ALL have told me that once you sign the waiver, you may not see the letters - ever. Not from the writer, the high school, and not from the recipient, the college. Could you let us know how you got your different info? I would love to believe you’re right, but so many have told me the opposite, and I don’t want alwaysbelieve’s D to have a problem by revealing that she opened and read a sealed lOR. Thanks much! Fingers crossed that you’re correct.</p>
<p>Congrats College Shoppiing!!! Done before the turkey!! HA HA You will have a lovely holiday and your student can have a bon fire with all of the extra papers!</p>
<p>momofsongbird-my understanding is that you can’t ask to see the LOR or open the envelope etc., BUT if the writer of recommendation gives you, unsolicited, a copy to read, that is not a violation of the waiver.</p>
<p>Such good news for so many and lots of resilience by these kids. Hooray.</p>
<p>Give your kid another hug tonight (whether they like it or not), the viewing for this 20 yr old is tonight and ds, gf and friends dressed up in their best to say goodbye.</p>
<p>amandakayak… bear-hugs given tonight in honor of your son’s friend. I am so sorry for his loss.</p>
<p>Always…I just caught up as we have been wrapped up in today’s news. I am so sorry your daughter has been bullied by this GC. I have no words, but I don’t think I could have restrained myself.</p>
<p>OWM…get dancing! And yes we are in state and I love Austin too!</p>
<p>Amanda…hugs to you.</p>