<p>I know some of you write rec letters. This is the first year that I have multiple students applying to the same colleges. Do you think it's okay to combine letters/forms for multiple students in one envelope, or is it likely to cause misfiling?</p>
<p>I suspect it would cause misfiling. Many admissions offices in fact staple envelope and rec together even after they have opened the envelope.</p>
<p>thanks, Marite. I was afraid something like that might be the case. Two of the kids gave me regular business-sized envelopes for Stanford before anyone noticed that the instructions said "don't fold". The recommended deadline is today. I was hoping to just stuff them all into the third kid's large envelope and put them out for the regular mail pick-up this afternoon. I guess now I'll have to go buy some large manila envelopes and go to the post office. Darn.</p>
<p>What a pain! </p>
<p>I don't understand why more colleges don't use a service like Embark.com's on-line recommendation form.</p>
<p>I've written many letters for students and all but one were paper recs.</p>
<p>Then this fall one student asked for a recommendation for a merit scholarship at U of Arizona which required an on-line recommendation managed by Embark.</p>
<p>It was great---I just filled out the information, typed in the draft of my letter (could have pasted something in if I'd already written it in a word-processing program), was able to preview and edit, could even save my draft and sleep on it before sending it off by pressing "submit." </p>
<p>Basically, the student asked me to write the rec, I agreed, and she sent my email address to the scholarship committee, which generated an email to me with username and password. (I was able to change that password.) </p>
<p>So now I have an account there. If the same student wants letters sent to other universities that use the service, I can pull up the letter and edit and resend.</p>
<p>And anytime I check into my account, it will tell what students' recommendations have been sent, which ones are still outstanding, and what the deadlines are.</p>
<p>As soon as I press "submit" to send a recommendation for a student to particular university, the student automatically receives confirmation that the recommendation has been sent. And I also get a confirmation email that it was successfully received.</p>
<p>No postage involved, no envelopes, no trips to the Post Office, no worries about postmarks.</p>
<p>This seems like a GREAT system to me....especially as I have a terrible cold today but need to head out to the Post Office to make sure that a rec with a required postmark date of 12/1/05 goes out on time!</p>
<p>So......to any of you adreps (or whatever you want us to call you!) lurking and reading, please take note. Those of us who write recommendations would appreciate it if more of you would allow us to use an on-line recommendation service!</p>
<p>I have also been wondering why the common application folks can't work out an online recommendation process. It just makes so much sense, and would be easier for teachers. Kids could also then check to see when their recommendations had been downloaded by the schools, just like they do with their applications.</p>
<p>I was just helping my eighth-grade son go through the checklist for asking for recommendations from his current math program for two boarding schools. Those schools each provided him with envelopes, which simplified that issue. The checklist he had reminded all members of his program that stamped envelopes are much appreciated. I'll have to remember this issue about the SIZE of the envelopes for any subsequent applications he does. </p>
<p>'Tis the season. Thanks to all of you parents who write letters of recommendation for students you know.</p>
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I have also been wondering why the common application folks can't work out an online recommendation process.
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<p>Yes! I've wondered that too. Most kids probably ask the same teachers to write recs to all their commen app schools. Even if it's paper, why couldn't the teacher just write one "common rec" instead of sending six separate copies of the same thing? There could always be an addendum of some sort for any colleges the teacher wants to address in a more individualized way. (eg, they don't take the common app, but I mention in my Stanford and MIT letters that other students from my program attend those schools and try to put the applicant into the context of what I know about the college).</p>
<p>Great topic, I was <em>just</em> wondering about the rec issue.</p>
<p>My son's applying to about 6 or so boarding schools. It seems like a <em>huge</em> imposition to ask the same teachers (& family friends) to write the same thing 6 different times. I'm mortified to ask dad of one of my son's friends (who knows/really likes son) to do this (he's busy law prof but same would apply to any busy parent...)</p>
<p>Wondered if anyone knew a way around this? Sounds like not from the above discusssion but I'm a novice on this so just checking (also..is there a place to get the 'common app'?)</p>
<p>Thanks so much for any thoughts. :-)</p>
<p>Basically, the teachers write a single rec and append it to the form which should have been filled in as much as possible by the applicant (name of applicant, name of teacher, class, school name, address, etc...). Some don't even bother to fill in the boxes. In that sense, it is not a huge imposition, and the information requested is likely to be similar (top 5%, top 10%, etc...). But each rec should go into a separate envelope unless the GC bundles everything together for the same applicant.</p>
<p>Thanks, marite, that's helpful! Whew, glad I won't be asking people to spend hrs writing...!!</p>
<p>So...of course I guess the guidance counselor is involved with teacher recs for college. I'm wondering if the same thing applies to boarding school (for high school transfer) applications?</p>
<p>I write a basic letter for each kid, with minor modifications for particular schools I know a lot about. The check box form that sometimes has to accompany the letter doesn't take very long. Once the basic letter is written, it isn't really a lot more effort to do 6 schools or programs than it is to do one if the kid gives me the whole stack of forms at once. It is extra trouble (although not 6 times as much) if I have to do recs for 6 schools and the kid doles them out to me in dibs and dabs. Even though the basic letter is done, I have to think about it and keep track of the due dates, etc. 6 times instead of just doing it all at once.</p>
<p>My son got bad news today when he went to the program office of his</a> math program. Although the program has a detailed procedure</a> for requesting letters of recommendation, it turns out that the bottom line for students in his level of the program is that they do NOT get individualized letters of recommendation that reflect any knowledge at all of how they are doing in class. The letter will mostly describe the program, not the student. </p>
<p>It looks like my son has to use the supplementary letter forms (for a "coach, mentor, etc.") to get a recommendation letter that will actually address his ability in his main subject of interest. It's a good thing he went to a summer program last summer so that someone actually knows him in an away-from-home residential setting in which he studied math.</p>
<p>I'll chime in another word of praise for the Embark system -- several of the grad programs to which I'm applying use the system, and I think it's fabulous, particularly since I can confirm whether or not my (very busy) professors have remembered to send my letters to all the programs.</p>
<p>Frankly, I trust the internet more than I trust the US Mail with delicate things like the rest of my life.</p>
<p><em>/melodrama</em> :)</p>
<p>Apparently you're not the only one Mollie. Here's an article predicting a continued surge in online application submissions this year:
<a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05334/614970.stm%5B/url%5D">http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05334/614970.stm</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the thought, texas! We'll def give all the forms at once!</p>
<p>Tokenadult--that's unfortunate about the limitations on rec from your son's math teacher (esp since you said it's his area of interest). Maybe you could include (or ask them to include) something in the app about the limitations imposed on rec format by the school (so they won't think that a bare-bones rec was the choice of the teacher)? Good you have the additional rec to include from a summer program. </p>
<p>We're debating on 'optional teacher' (beyond the required math/english) for son's boarding school applications. I wonder if it's limited to current teachers? He did a public service project (he initiated it) w/a teacher last year (in 8th grade). He's a great guy and it would be awesome to get a rec from him, but don't know if that would fly (prior year).</p>
<p>I think prior year would be fine coming from someone who knows your son well.</p>