<p>So I'm confused about this, and hopefully I won't come off as a complete idiot trying to explain it...</p>
<p>The recommendation thing is new to me because the schools I applied to in HS didn't need it...now all of the schools I'm applying to want at least one. They don't seem to be talking about normal, typed out letters (what I thought it'd be), they each have their own "Recommendation Form"s to be printed and filled out. The Commonapp equivalent seems to be the the "Teacher Evaluation Form". Some of you probably must know what I'm talking about, right?</p>
<p>So my question is, am I expected to print out these forms and ask professors I barely know to fill out five or six copies of them (for 5 or 6 schools)? That seems like a lot of trouble. Is there not supposed to be a letter recommendation at all, then? Can I replace the forms with letters, and just send letters (this would be easier on the professors; they'd just need to write one letter and make copies of it, then send them off). </p>
<p>Another form question - a lot of colleges ask for a Dean's Report. My school has about 40, 000 students, and I'm sure that the Dean doesn't spend all day filling out forms for people who want to transfer. Commonapp's form is called the "College Official Report", which is fine, except when I go to a school's website and look at their list of requirements, they always specify needing to get a form/rec from the Dean. Maybe they mean the Dean's office? I've read the questions, seems like they'd best be answered by an advisor....</p>
<p>I read the questions, and they certainly help (makes me less nervous about it) but I'm still not feeling entirely certain. I think I'll just have to call or email the admissions at each of the schools, see if they mind having a letter instead of the form, and I'll go to the Dean's office at my school...if they don't do that sort of thing, I guess they'll direct me to whoever does. </p>
<p>Almost every school will be fine with the letter rec, rather than their own form. My S, as I recall, just gave the prof
1. pre-addressed and stamped envelopes for each school
2. in the envelope the common app-type form with his identifying info filled in.</p>
<p>The prof could just attach his letter to that form and stick it in the envelope. I think one school S applied to seemed to be in love with their own form. For that one school, he put that form in the envelope for the prof. Most schools really don't care about "form" that much as long as they get the needed info.</p>
<p>Re Dean form - many of them don't require the Dean to know much about you at all (just, as explained in the sticky thread, wanting to know that you are in good standing and not a trouble-maker). If it's one of the ones that asks more about you, having an advisor do part of it and get the Dean's office to do the "in good standing" part should work.</p>