<p>Fred:</p>
<p>I think there is something seriosuly wrong with writing your own recommendation and getting someone else to sign it. I don't think colleges would be pleased AT ALL if they found out students were writing their own recommendations.</p>
<p>mythmom mentioned: </p>
<p>"Perhaps a department chair, ass't principal, some other authority firgure student knows could be a stand-in." </p>
<p>i was also contemplating asking one of my teachers to help me write it; however, i find it somewhat unlikely because a fair number of teachers at my school (including those that i will ask for a teacher rec) take days off just to do the college recs for a torrent of students. I believe my math teacher has close to 50 students asking her to write them a rec. Actually, one of the most brilliant students of last year's class had his app jeopardized because that same teacher forgot to mail the rec letter. As for the assistant principal and principal, they are generally very very unhelpful, in fact, i dont think they have ever really interacted with students outside of their disciplinary duties. i'm guessing either everyone at my school is overburdened with work (perhaps due to the high student to faculty ratio) or they are just inefficient. personally, i feel it is a combination of both and in short, it is incredibly frustrating to get teachers and administrators to even work with me (or any student for that matter) on my app</p>
<p>Sue the school if they don't write them. That is illegal. Tell the district supervisor or something. Um not sure why they wouldnt be able to write it, but arent most schools still in summer (like 99.9%?).</p>
<p>Anyway, yeah that is totally illegal.</p>
<p>" I don't think colleges would be pleased AT ALL if they found out students were writing their own recommendations."</p>
<p>That's an understatement. Colleges would have reason to doubt everything about the studentsi n the school including their grades.</p>
<p>It's not illegal for a counselor to refuse to write a rec. If he or she doesn't feel that they could honestly recommend you to a college, they don't have to.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, i'm not too sure if colleges will see the school's crediblility as something that has been significantly diminished as a result of this because my school does have a reputation of sending students to do very well in university. but is there a way not to submit a counselor rec (if required) with your application? i just feel that writing mine own rec would be exceeding awkward in the unlikely event if college adcoms/officials contact the school in order to ask about me, when all the counselors do not even know the names of 95% of the students.</p>
<p>Again, may I suggest you call the schools you plan to apply and ask them?</p>
<p>The GC's recommendation is just an overview, a summing up as it were, of application. The writer does not need to know the student, but it is good if writer has access to teacher recs, transcript and ec's. It is to the school's advantage to see that its students are well placed so there ought to be someone at the school, even school board member, willing to step up to the plate. This letter does not need to be gushing or written by someone who personally knows student (though that's always nice) but does need to put student's achievements into perspective in terms of school as a whole and student's history. Here's the place to explain that 2 on the Latin AP (my son) or remark on how much someone's dedication helped Mock Trial Team (my daughter). My D's guidance counselor knew her well since 9th grade. She left just before S's senior year, promising to write his before she left. She didn't. His new GC met him the day he asked his application be expedited for EA. Both had good outcomes.</p>
<p>But they can't refuse to write recs just because they don't have time, denying all requests for reccomendations by all students.</p>
<p>I think the reaction to this is overstated. I would assume that the GC will not just sign whatever you write, but will at least review it and only sign it if it fits the facts about you. I don't think the colleges will be too upset either--they will notice if the GC rec is too different from the teacher recs. Also, I guarantee that if you complain about this, the school will say that the GC doesn't just sign the student-written letters, but simply uses it as helpful information--whatever they actually do.</p>
<p>So, write yourself a good, solid recommendation that fits the actual facts that will appear elsewhere in the admissions package, and that is likely to be consistent with the teacher recs, and don't worry about it.</p>