<p>I just saw a copy of a recommendation a teacher wrote for a student. It had this line in it.</p>
<p>"________ is a creative and hardworking student who does very well under close supervision."</p>
<p>I had to share it.</p>
<p>...and THAT is why you should always try to proofread recs ;)
idad, thanks for my laugh of the day.</p>
<p>When I was an engineering faculty member about 10 years ago at Michigan, I reviewed the grad school application of one student from another college with a strong program in our field. This student had something like a 3.98/4.00 GPA. Unfortunately for the student, all three of his letters of recommendation from professors with whom he had worked on research projects essentially said the same thing: "This student is very bright but unmotivated" (paraphrased). Knowing that no professor would ever WANT to write such a recommendation, I was amazed that all three had (presumably independently) formed this opinion strongly enough to explicitly state it in a letter. Because his GPA and GRE scores were so strong, he was accepted at Michigan, but due to the letters of recommendation, he was not provided any funding. The PhD did not work out, and he ultimately left engineering to go to medical school (at another school). I hope somewhere along the way he found some motivation.</p>
<p>Yikes. I felt much better when my son's teachers gave him copies of their letters.</p>
<p>What's scary is that teachers who have those things to say about students will agree to writing their recs in the first place, instead of finding a way to let them know that they wouldn't be the student's best choice.</p>
<p>Bluealien:</p>
<p>Thanks for the chuckles! :)</p>
<p>Bluealien, I was chortling.Those were pretty funny.</p>
<p>Thanks. I really needed that.</p>
<p>Thanks, had to laugh at the excuses parents give. As a teacher ( in kindergarten) I've heard some great ones. One of the best involved a young boy who was absent several days. When I called and talked with the mom she said her son did not want to come to school because the other kids would not do what he wanted. He liked to be in charge (i.e. he was bossy). Mom did not want to upset him. Parents got to love them LOL. :)</p>
<p>MomZ Tooooo funny. And, thanks Bluealien - I scared my dogs because I was laughing so hard.</p>
<p>Hehe! I feel sorry for that student.</p>