<p>I thought my mom was a F******* idiot when she told me that she write a letter for me to the admissions office. I'm applying to Hamilton Early Decision II, and she thinks that the more personal a letter, the better of a chance i'll get in. Honestly, I think she's crazy...and doesn't make any sense. But do you guys know if parents usually write letters to admissions officers, perhaps about childhood stories or important recollections? </p>
<p>Please get back soon, because I need to shut my mom up...haha</p>
<p>Were you homeschooled? That is the only possible way that I can see how she could think this makes any sense. Parents do not write letters of recommendation, or do anything else directly with the colleges, unless it is supplying financial information.</p>
<p>It is completely inappropriate for your mom to write a LOR for you. The LOR should be from someone who has evaluated you in an academic setting. Childhood stories and family 'important recollections' have no place in your reccommendation letters. And of course your mom is not an impartial person comparing you to others they have taught this year and all their careers.</p>
<p>It would be really funny, if I didn't think that this might hurt you. I hope they have a sense of compassion in that admission office. If they do, they might frame it. If they do not, it may become legendary in the Do's and Don't lectures. Poor you. Do you have a guidance counsel or even the school Principal who could speak to her to tell her that it is inappropriate? A trusted, educated friend of family?</p>
<p>BrownParent is right about homeschoolers. A parent is expected to supply the guidance counselor evaluation for the Secondary School Report part of the Common App. (I had to do this for my own homeschooled son.) However, even aside from that there are a few schools that actually do give a parent the opportunity to share their perspective on the student. A few others want a peer recommendation. I don't think they are necessarily weighed significantly in the decision making process.</p>
<p>That said, if the schools you're applying to don't request it, or at least extend it officially as an option, then I don't think your mom should do it. If there's something you and she <em>really</em> think the college admissions office should know about you that will not be reflected in your teacher letters-of-rec, or elsewhere in your transcripts, then someone else close to your family would be a better choice as far as communicating that. Maybe a coach, pastor, employer... something along those lines.</p>
<p>Jeez, I am the ultimate helicopter mom and I wouldnt do that. My Ds high school GCs schedule meeting with parents where the parents tell the GC anything and everything they want and the GC knows what to write.</p>
<p>Welll... I think that it is slightly inappropriate to have any family member to write you a letter of recommendation unless they have been able to evaluate your writing. </p>
<p>Its optional, and only at Geneseo. It was mailed after my S applied with the common app. It is also at the Geneseo website. I thought it was kind of odd, but I did it. It was actually kind of difficult. I didn't want to come off as a parent saying my child could "leap tall buildings in a single bound"</p>
<p>after talking to many admissions officers at the top colleges and others they have all said that letters from parents dont really mean anything in the admissions process due to the inherent biased</p>
<p>Unless a school is specifically looking (which I guess would be like a peer rec) your mother should absolutely keep her mitts off your application and the process itself. Until it comes time to drive you to the campus, this is not within her control in the least.</p>