I applied to Yale regular decision about a month ago. As far as LORs go, I submitted one from my AP Euro teacher who I had sophomore year and one from my debate teacher senior year. I’ll admit, I had a little trouble deciding who I should ask for recommendations as I was abroad all of my junior year, so I had to choose between teachers who hadn’t seen me in a year (plus, I was incredibly quiet and shy during sophomore year) and teachers I had just met. I tried to choose teachers that could really give an idea of my personality, and I figured using my debate teacher as one would be fine as debate counts as an English credit at my school.
This morning, I received an email from a Yale admissions officer stating that Yale doesn’t count debate as an academic subject, and thus they would prefer a LOR from a different teacher. She asked that I send a recommendation from a teacher who taught me sophomore year and in a core subject such as English, math, etc. The only problem is I’m not sure which teacher I should ask. I know all of my sophomore year teachers would be happy to write me a LOR, but I also know that it would be a bit vague due to my previous shyness and the amount of time since I’ve seen them. The recommendations simply wouldn’t be stellar.
There is a teacher that I think would write me a great LOR as he had me sophomore year and is currently teaching me in two dual-enrollment English classes, but the possible issue is that the class he had me in sophomore year was debate. I’m not sure if the admissions office specifically wants someone who taught me in a core subject during sophomore year or if they just want a core subject and a teacher who has known me longer than senior year. This is a teacher who really knows me and would able to attest to how much I’ve grown since sophomore year, and I really feel like he would write me the best letter. But, I wouldn’t want the admissions officers to think that I only have good relationships with debate teachers (these are two different debate teachers, the one who I previously send the LOR from just started this year). All my teachers have liked me in the past, but it’s hard to make up for nearly a year and a half apart.
What should I do? Which teacher should I have write the new LOR?
Whichever one you choose, make sure you give them a sheet with info that they might not have about you off the top of their heads and that would be good to have in the letter. It’s always advisable to give this info to anyone who is writing a reference letter. Makes it easier for them
If this is what the Yale AO said please follow directions and ask a teacher from sophomore year from a core course…not your soph debate teacher that you have again this year for English. I say this gently…you already didn’t follow Yale’s directions regarding your initial LoRs (asking for core teachers only), so please do so now. https://admissions.yale.edu/instructions
I expect any of the soph teachers you ask will have a form/questionnaire for you to fill out, basically asking questions that will help them write your letter. Ask them today to complete the LoR, give them a due date, and fill out their questionnaire as needed ASAP.
Lastly, if you are able to upload this additional teacher LoR to any other schools you sent the debate coach LoR (or the seminary teacher LoR from another thread), I would do that as well.
Good luck.
I think the issue is that they want to see who you are as a student in a classroom. I’d ask the same teacher, only ask him/her to be sure to write it in the context of your classroom engagement. You have a letter from the history teacher, and the English teacher knows you well, so I don’t see a problem.
Ideally, colleges like to see a letter each from a humanities subject and a science/math subject. But this is Yale, and you need to strongest recs you can get. I think it’s interesting that they reached out to you at all. They could have just denied you right away based on you not turning in two recs from core subject teachers.
You can’t change who you are. My kid was shy and quiet, she did well with acceptances. Get the person who knows you best in an academic subject to write the letter.
The instruction that you use a sophomore teacher sounds strange. From Yale’s admission’s website:
“Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor
Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your junior or senior year of high school. Letters from these teachers are typically the most illuminating. Yale does not encourage supplemental recommendations. Those considering a supplemental recommendation should first read Supplementary Materials-Extra Recommendations.” https://admissions.yale.edu/instructions
Agree with @Lindagraf, if the senior year English teacher knows you the best and can write the most persuasive LoR, then get an LoR from him.
Are we overthinking this? Will the one new recommendation make or break the OPs chances of gaining admission even if the reco was average at best?
"
There is a teacher that I think would write me a great LOR as he had me sophomore year and is currently teaching me in two dual-enrollment English classes, but the possible issue is that the class he had me in sophomore year was debate. "
Regardless of what he taught you in your Sophomore year, your current English teacher is the one you should ask for a LOR, since you believe he will write you a strong LOR…
Get it done asap.