4 teacher recs - overkill?

Applying to College
1

<p>Exactly what the title says: 3 regular recs, 1 supplemental. Too many?</p>

<p>Some backstory if you want it (tl;dr otherwise): I asked three of my teachers for recs initially, thinking I'd split some colleges between two of the teachers as a friend suggested to lighten their workload (though I'm not sure why I did so now, since most teachers will send the same letter to different schools anyway... I was being stupid as always I guess). I also asked a music teacher to write a supplemental rec letter for me. One of my academic teachers is essentially the default teacher everybody goes to for recs, so he's ridiculously busy around the time everyone is applying to colleges. Let's call him Teacher A. Teacher A told me that he was already full for any recs that were due Nov. 1st for Early Decision deadlines but that he could do recs for later deadlines. </p>

<p>I requested all four on Naviance, but I didn't bother giving much information to Teacher A in particular because he told me he wouldn't be doing a rec letter for me ED. When he emailed me to send over a form he requires everybody to fill out for recs, I disregarded it and told myself I would reply after I sent in my ED application because I was so busy at the time. I checked the Common App just awhile ago, and I saw that all of my teachers sent in a rec letter for my ED school, even Teacher A, who I ignored for a good month or so, didn't send any information to, and didn't think he would've ever written me a letter for my ED app because of its Nov. 1st deadline. On top of all that, he sent it just today, Nov. 2nd, obviously a day later than the deadline. </p>

<p>I'm horribly confused about what he's trying to do. As a teacher, he's very strict about having every piece of information in the right place at the right time, and he's refused to write letters for multiple people in the past when they didn't provide him with the required form in time. When he says something, he means it, especially concerning college rec letters. When I asked around, all of my other friends who were subject to the whole "I won't be able to write any more rec letters due Nov. 1st" talk didn't have Teacher A randomly submit a late rec letter for them for their ED college. A tiny, very irrational part of me is worried that he might have sent in a not-so-complimentary letter because I've been really horrible about communicating with him about recs this year.</p>

<p>In the end, rather than email him about it and possibly come off as rude or ungrateful, I've decided to just leave it be and simply apologize to him about my lack of communication, so I suppose I'm now sending 4 recommendation letters to my ED school. Will schools even consider teacher recs if they're sent in after the deadline? I'm aware that some schools have an informal grace period of sorts, but since I already have 3 recs, will Teacher A's rec even be considered?</p>

<p>^ That was probably littered throughout with comma splices, run-on sentences, and other such grammatical abominations, and I apologize for that. I'm just so exhausted right now I could care less about the state of my writing.</p>

<p>Thoughts, anyone?</p>

2

<p>It’s nice to have them all on Naviance, but don’t send in all 4, that will absolutely overwhelm the admissions officers which is NOT what you want. For your teacher, he only submitted it on Naviance, not to admissions, correct? When it’s up on Naviance, you can go to your guidance counselor and control WHICH of your recommendations will make it out. </p>

<p>I’m really confused – so you don’t want Teacher A’s rec? Right now I would just assume that he did write you a bad rec (of course it could’ve been glowing but since you don’t know, don’t send it in – if it hasn’t been sent in yet) and talk to him in person (which I believe you should’ve done awhile ago, but now you need to salvage the situation). IF you can stop sending in 4 PLEASE do. Go to your counselor TOMORROW and get a meeting. ASAP. Stop them if they haven’t gone out yet. Send out 2. Get your counselor to read through them (because you can’t read them, but they CAN) and get him/her to send out the 2 that are most complimentary.</p>

<p>And yes, the schools will usually consider recommendations post-deadline, esp. since it’s November 2nd, which is only a day late. </p>

3

<p>@ssswims No, it shows up as submitted on the Common App as well, so I’m assuming it’s already sent out; my ED school just hasn’t processed it yet, I don’t think. I don’t really think it’s possible to salvage the situation at this rate unless I email admissions and tell them to ignore Teacher A’s rec, which might seem very strange.</p>

<p>It’s not that I don’t want his rec, and I highly doubt he would write me a bad recommendation, but I’m just extremely confused as to WHY he submitted a rec for me at all - and a late one too. Also, it just makes more sense to send in my two other teachers’ recs instead. One of them I know more personally, and the other teaches a subject that pertains to my intended major. By the way, I’m absolutely positive I want to send in at least three because the supplementary rec is from my orchestra director, and I’ve highlighted music as an important concentration in my life throughout my entire application.</p>

<p>Is it REALLY that bad if I have four recs? I know there’s the saying, “the thicker the file, the thicker the applicant”. I never intended to send so many recs in the first place, but I’m not sure if there’s really anything I can do at this point.</p>

4

<p>I would double check with your counselor. To ease your mind, I would talk to him and see why he did what he did. If there’s nothing you can do, then there’s nothing you can do, but if you send in too many admissions may wonder why you need so many. It may raise some eyebrows in admissions, but obviously as long as none of them are bad then it shouldn’t be too big of a big deal other than being a little different. </p>

5

<p>4 is too many. Keep it to 2. Only use a supplement if it is really adding another view of you.</p>

6

<p>@BrownParent Far too late for that. As for the supplement, I’ve been in orchestra for all four years of high school. I’ve traveled across the nation and to Europe with my orchestra. I played in a musical with the orchestra that required 3 hour rehearsals daily for a full month. I’ve devoted so much time and energy to it that I really wanted a supplement just to emphasize how much effort I’ve poured into it, that it’s not just another typical activity. Not sure how well my director is able to convey that in their rec, but… totally out of my control.</p>

7

<p>@ssswims I’m going to check with my counselor tomorrow. I would ask my teacher, but I’m really afraid that he actually made an exception for me out of all his other students and sent in a (possibly) glowing rec letter. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I made exceptionally high grades in his class and my work ethic for his class was far better than any of my other classes. It’s possible that he’s sending in a rec letter just because he enjoyed having me a student so much last year, though it might actually do more harm than good at this rate. If this is all true, anything I question him about will probably come off as unappreciative, and I respect him so much as a teacher that I really don’t want to disappoint him.</p>

8

<p>Bump? Everybody IRL (friends, parents, Teacher A himself) has told me that I’m overstressing about nothing. Anybody else here on the internet want to give me some reasons to freak out again? How screwed am I, really?</p>