Hi! I’m looking into to asking teachers for a letter of recommendation though I feel a bit annoyed with myself for asking a bit later than I like.
I was thinking of asking my Algebra 2 teacher from 11th grade and my band teacher who I’ve known and still teaches me since I was in third grade. I don’t know who else to ask that I did have recently and connected well with.
My earliest deadline is November 15th since I’m doing easy decision. Any advice?
I want to ask my APUSH teacher, but I always hear that he has loads of letters to write and I find it may be a bit too late right now.
Agree that you should have asked sooner but nothing can be done about that now. Be sure to thank the teachers who agree to write a LOR for doing so under such a tight deadline. You will also need to understand if the teachers who have already agreed to write a number of letters can’t get your LOR completed by the ED deadline.
I would ask the APUSH teacher if you need two academic LORs. The band teacher won’t count as an academic LOR as band is not considered to be an academic subject. He/she can write a supplemental (non-academic based) LOR for colleges that will accept an extra one.
Ask first thing Monday. At this point, it’s less important who you ask then when.
PLEASE don’t assume that your teachers can drop everything to write that letter-- every once in a while we have lives too. I’ve had kids ask at the last minute and have had to tell them I couldn’t because of family or work demands. For example, my progress grades were due last week, this week I have parent interviews. My husband’s progress grades are due this week. This week is also my mom’s birthday, homecoming at my kids’ school, Open House at my school and my husband’s (both today-- I’m leaving for work in 10 minutes.). My husband has a commitment work the parish blood drive tomorrow and a meeting Monday night. Oh, and I’m giving a test Tuesday-- that means extra help Monday-- and a graduate has emailed me asking whether she can stop by for extra help. Oh, and next weekend my mom, my sisters and I are going out of state for a wedding (my husband has work demands and can’t go-- so he’s busy too.)
All these things are already on the calendar. A kid who asked me to write a last minute letter would probably be disappointed to learn that it would be hard to squeeze in.
But be very , very careful about that deadline. That’s when the application is due at the college. Every high school I know has an EA deadline at least 2 weeks before that so there’s time to process several hundred packets and get them out in time. In my school, it was last week. My daughter is submitting hers on Monday.
Do NOT put this off.