<p>Vegan: they write one and then make photocopies and/or change the name of the school in the text. </p>
<p>meowmom: I would send three just in case. It can't really hurt unless every other teacher hates your D or if the third one just sucks at writing. </p>
<p>SoMuch2Do: They'll all take them and look at them I believe, just don't send like 5.</p>
<p>is it okay to ask different teachers for different applications??
^weird question, but i'm really close to my ninth grade teacher, but some apps require the teachers to be those of junior/senior year.</p>
<p>it's ok to use different teachers for different apps but i would under no circumstances use a 9th grade teacher...they hate it</p>
<p>So, I have a question, too. My counselor says that I need to have my two recs. in both humanities and science/math section. However, I have one history teacher who I know will give me a great rec, but...I'm not so sure about my bio teacher. Yet, I have a psychology teacher who I had freshman year for econ/gov., Psychology Junior year, she's doing a really big research paper with me AND she's the sponsor of a club I'm in and president of. So, to be blunt, she knows me a loooot more. </p>
<p>Is that okay?</p>
<p>I'm to ask teachers in September, I heard that it is better from someone. Give them the summer to relax and ask in September. They'll have 4 months to write it then too....(unless ED/EA)</p>
<p>Is using a 9th grade teacher really bad? For example, I had a teacher for the 9th grade (World Civ, and I'm going to be majoring in Art History) and she was also my teacher for a 10th grade course (Comparative Religions)... should I find an 11th grade teacher to get a rec from or what? :( She knows me better than most, I'd think.</p>
<p>Also, another math teacher who I love and talk to every once in awhile (like outside of class) apparently writes really good recs... but the problem is, I've been consistently getting awful grades in math since sophomore year. (as in D+, C awful!) would it look weird if I get a rec from her?</p>
<p>cimmoresque, I would not use a 9th grade teacher for a rec. But, if you had her 10th grade as well, I don't see that big of a problem. Since she has had you for two years, she should know you well and will be able to write a good rec.</p>
<p>Getting a rec from a teacher you get Ds and Cs from wouldn't be the best choice. Don't choose a teacher "because they write good recs", choose one because they know you well.</p>
<p>i'm not applying anywhere early and i'm only using senior year teachers, so i'm not asking till september.</p>
<p>meowmom: that's totally ok. not like they taught her the same subject.</p>
<p>I asked a few teacher to write me an essay of recommendation but when it comes to application process, do I have to go back to them to fill out the little "survey" things saying "how do you rate this student in leadership/EC's/blah blah compared to your other students"?</p>
<p>Yeah, you do.</p>
<p>I already know who's going to write one of them (and I know she'll do it really good), but I'm undecided about the second recc.</p>
<p>Which two should I choose?
1) Calculus Teacher-10th & 11th & advisor of two clubs that are very important to me, would write an amazing letter (The only thing that makes me hesitate, is that he has been teaching for a long long time, and has taught actual prodigies and has always been familiar with the best students that pass through my school and all and thus I don't think he could potentially truthfully check "one of the best in my career" for any of those survey questions really. But, I'm 99.9% he'd really write an amazing/perfect letter.)</p>
<p>2) Science Research Teacher -10th-12th grade (3 years). Basically you write your own letter, he'll approve of it, and add upon it, and you get to preview it.</p>
<p>3) English teacher- approached me in the hall recently and offered to write me a recommendation for college next year (sorta strange). I was surprised, because she was hardly my favorite teacher, and I'm pretty sure that she knew that (sometimes we'd argue in class). But she's ok, I guess?
4) German Teacher- 5 years (8th-12th) i'm just not sure. also a possibility</p>
<p>addition to ^
all of 1-4 could write about specific and mentionable instances of leadership that I provided in the clubs that they advise... I wish I could send 4 reccs, lol.</p>
<p>Definitely English and Calc. The Science teacher with the write-your-own is not only completely dishonest but an adcom would probably see through it, notice your writing style, etc. If the English teacher approached you, that's awesome. Sometimes they like the ones that argue with them in class. And don't worry about them being club advisors or anything. The recs are about how you are IN THE CLASSROOM. Not in your ECs.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think when schools see that a student's teacher has checked off "best I've seen in my career" in every category, they have to second-think it. Obviously, it is very, very unlikely for a student to completely surpass every past student in every single area. </p>
<p>I didn't ask for my recommendations until about October. No one at my school ever even thought to ask for them at the end of Junior year. </p>
<p>I don't suggest turning in more than two recommendations from academic teachers, since, as someone pointed out, colleges may not even read them. However, if you have another particular strength you want highlighted (music, athletics, etc.), it may be a good idea to have someone who knows you in that area to write you an additional letter.</p>
<p>Here's another idea I think helped me with my recommendations: I was unsure of which teachers to ask for my standard two letters, so I ended up asking three. Depending on the school to which I was applying, we sent the recommendations that catered to what the school was looking for, in a sense. For example, for the larger schools I applied to, we sent the two letters that showcased my academic performance the most. For some smaller LACs, we sent two letters that focused more on my personality and character and showed me on a more personal level.</p>
<p>I asked my teachers to write me recs in january. A 10-months head start.</p>
<p>Ya, this is a stupid question, but how exactly do they write recommendations? I mean, do you just tell them to write one, or do you have to give them something special, or write it in some special format??? Really confused about this.</p>
<p>You give them the form/forms that come with the apps. They can use the same letter for every school, but sometimes there is other stuff to fill out. And Lisa, the bottom part sounds as though you read your recs. Isn't it supposed to be a confidential thing?</p>
<p>Drummerdude, you don't have to read the recs to know what's in them. If you're willing to entrust your future to a teacher, that teacher probably trusts you enough to let you know what he/she wrote.</p>