Hey
Chinese student (from china) who recently submitted all of his apps and applied to the following schools
harvard (EA - reject) - first app - so it was kinda bad, but i aint complaining
stanford
columbia
yale
princeton
UC berkeley (EECS)
CMU (CIT, SCS)
cornell
brown
UCSD, UCLA , UC irvine
georgia tech
purdue
ohio state - columbus
so I sent in all my apps and then today my counselor gives me my teacher recommendations and transcripts.
But the problem is neither my teacher recommendation nor my counselor recommendation are signed or printed on the school letter head (they just wrote it on a word file and uploaded it). However my transcripts have been printed on the school letter head and have been signed by the appropriate personnel (principle, DP coordinator and class teacher).
SO is this ok or should I mail all the common app schools an email saying that
“I have recently received my recommendations and they are not signed. So should I ask my counselor to send signed copies to you”…
Will colleges suspect foul play or is this common. Just really nervous.
thanks for any advice
Rec letters do not have to be on official letterhead, nor do they have to be signed. A word file uploaded is completely fine, and preferred by some schools.
@guineagirl96
thank you for the information. I know this may make no sense at all, but to the best of you knowledge is uploading a simple word file a widespread action. Can you also give me more information on why a word file is better than a signed and letter headed copy; I thought that colleges might suspect foul play if recs arent signed or letterheaded.
I really appreciate the time you have taken to address my doubts
@whateverharvard Uploading a word file is more widespread because most teachers type their recs in word. Another common format might be a pdf, which they upload on common app. Some colleges prefer all submissions electronically, while something on a signed letterhead might likely have to be sent via mail, although most (i believe all) won’t penalize you for mailing something they ask for electronically.
Nope, they won’t assume anything, since usually the teachers upload the recs themselves.
@intparent
My teachers just showed me and ,so, i dont have them. I asked my GC the same question and he said I would be fine. Maybe I should wait till i get accepted and then ask my GC to send them
@intparent
i think you misunderstood me.
I have submitted my application and my teachers have sent their recommendations and my transcripts.
and as i finished applying they have shown me their recs.
Basically what the problem is my teachers submitted their recs on a word file without signing them. So i was wondering if this is ok.
btw my transcripts are appropriately signed and letter headed.
I think your problem might be more that you applied to the top 15 of the 3000 colleges in the US.
If your writing skills in this post reflect your actual writing skills, then you are going to be disappointed.
It’s fine. Colleges understand that it’s an online submission. Unless the letter is literally signed and then scanned onto the computer as a download, it’s impossible for it to be signed.
@TheDidactic
I’m just asking whether my teachers should have printed them out on a letter head, signed them, scanned and send them or if a word file upload is fine.