<p>Can anybody help me out with parts of the common app I don't know how to fill?</p>
<p>sure…pm me</p>
<p>Just post your problems.</p>
<p>I don’t have a counselor. What should I do about all the field’s that require a counselor’s details? More specifically, who’s details should I use?</p>
<p>You can always ask your principal to fill the form. If your principal agrees to fill the form, add his/her details in that part.</p>
<p>Thanks, I’ll do that :)</p>
<p>I changed schools going from eighth class to ninth class and from tenth class to eleventh class, not to mention many other transfers in earlier classes. I feel that teachers in the school I studied in in sixth, seventh, and eighth - let’s say School A - know me better than those in the school I was in in ninth and tenth - School B - and that the teachers in my current school - School C - don’t know me at all, as I rarely have to go to school. And the English of teachers in schools A & B is far better than the English of the teachers in school C. From whom should I get recommendations?</p>
<p>You will end up writing the recommendation letters yourself anyways. Unless you’re from some rich European country…</p>
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<p>This is utter bull and it is quite counter-intuitive. I come from an African country yet my teachers wrote my recommendations. </p>
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<p>Most schools specify that is has to be a teacher who has taught you within the last two years. Ask the teachers who know you the best and taught you within this period. Hopefully the teachers from school B qualify! 
Good Luck!</p>
<p>kimathi, how many non-English teachers in other countries do you think can speak English? Yup, that’s right.</p>
<p>And, I’m guessing you’re from South Africa.</p>
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<p>Actually this is a moot point because most colleges allow for the recommendation to be written in the native language provided that you get it translated. Both the original and translated version should then be sent to the college. (Your English teacher should be able to do the translation 
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<p>Nope! :p</p>
<p>Can I get one teacher from school A to write a recommendation? I really want a recommendation from that teacher.
And what can I do if I change schools again(School D)?</p>
<p>kimathi, you seem like you have no idea about the world. Read the threads in the International Forum and you will know what I’m talking about.</p>
<p>sirfkartik, no, that’s not a good idea. You want to get a rec from teachers from school C.
If your school doesn’t have twelfth grade, then you can get a rec from teachers from school B.
Colleges don’t want middle school teacher recs.</p>
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<p>I am not naive, I just have integrity. I know that there are many international students who write their own recommendations, falsely believing that the language barrier will stand in the way of the their teachers writing an adequate rec. This is a false believe, one that they just exploit to give themselves glowing rec. All I am saying is that it does not have to be that way. If you choose to write it for yourself, it is up to you, but don’t go around blaming your teachers for their inability to do it for you. </p>
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As I said before, as long as the teacher has taught you within the past two years, regardless of which school your were in at the time, then that teacher can write your recommendation. If the teacher in School A did not teach you within the past two years, s/he does not qualify! Though you can get s/he to write a supplemental recommendation.</p>
<p>I’m gonna go with kimathi here, and hope for the best. Writing your own recommendations feels wrong, to say the least. I’ll ask two teachers from school B and one from school A to for the recommendations.
As mentioned before, I don’t have a counselor. I contacted a college and they said that asking a principal to be a counselor is not recommended. I was thinking of asking a teacher from school C to be the counselor. Advice?</p>
<p>I’d go with your Principal or perhaps your head of year? I am not familiar with your school structure, but is there anybody other than the principal who is in charge of your year? If there isn’t anyone, your next bet should be your class teacher (home room teacher). Whoever you end up choosing though, make sure it is a teacher who knows you well. Your aspirations, involvements, achievements, shortcoming etc. The more genuine and substantiated the counselor’s report is, the better it is for you!</p>
<p>I’ll ask my classteacher then.</p>
<p>Solved my problems as well, I had to change schools, during my 8th, then 10th and now finally last two years at the same school, dont have an counselor either, so most probably I’m going to ask my Principal to do that part.</p>
<p>About the letter of Recommendations, Well its like I have been quite close with my computer teacher, worked a few projects for the school, assisted in designing my college’s website and alot of other works and he truly regards my passions and potential, so is a single letter from him good enough or should I ask one of my other Science or Art teacher to write one for me as well? I mean does it make and difference if you have a single recommendation letter or more then one?</p>
<p>Plus I was a bit confused about something regarding the recommendation letters, do I need to get separate letters for each of the different college I’m going to apply or the same ones would do for each?</p>
<p>Most schools require at least two teacher recommendations. And you usually use the same two for all your applications. The beauty of the common app! :)</p>
<p>Right, what about MIT and other Colleges that aren’t on CommonApp? I mean can it wont do any harm if I send them the same letters?</p>