<p>I would appreciate suggestions from parents regarding teachers who have been given college recommendation forms by DD and not completed them in a timely manner. As deadlines near, I find it very frustrating that my DD gave a couple of teachers recommendation forms, and they have not completed them. One teacher in particular has had the form for over four weeks, and the others have had them for two or three weeks. DD has been very gentle in asking her teachers when they will complete them, and she gets a response of tomorrow, at the end of this week, etc...and they are never completed.<br>
On one hand, given that she is asking for a favor, I do not want to be to forceful. On the other hand, it is very frustrating and I feel like calling/e-mailing to ask them when they will complete the forms.
As an aside, DD did ask the teachers before handing them the recommendations forms if they would fill them out. And most of the students at DD's school are planning on attending State schools, which do not require recommendations.
Again, any advice/experience with this would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Personally, I would wait until the deadline for the actual app has arrived. The recs don't have to be in by that date - just her actual app. If she wants to "monitor" the teachers' progress before then, she may find herself having to do it over and over - your exact frustration.</p>
<p>If she has given the teacher the deadlines, they know that they have at least until that date to do the recs. They are not actually delinquent.</p>
<p>Once the deadline has arrived, she can say that, "per school x, y and z," the teacher rec is missing from her materials. A more effective message, imo.</p>
<p>Some of the schools actually will have online or email notification systems re status of each element of the app. Some you can call. </p>
<p>All is not lost if the faculty are a little slow. In fact, if they plan on doing them over school vacation, they may have more time to do a good job.</p>
<p>As a parent, you will not rest easy until you know that every school on her list has every last item in the application requirements. I know, I've been there. But elements dribbling in is SOP and not a <em>real</em> reason to worry.</p>
<p>One person's opinon.</p>
<p>If the deadline hasn't arrived, the recommendations are not delinquent.</p>
<p>I'm not sure why you are expecting the teachers to get in the recommendations before they are due. Heck, even the applicants have until the due date. </p>
<p>Other than reminding the teachers of the due date, making sure that they still plan to write the recommendations, there's nothing else that your D needs to do except ask them on the date if they have sent the recommendations. If the college is a rolling admission school for which early applications are advantageous, the student should make sure the teachers know that. It may even be helpful to give the teacher a copy of the student's completed application so the teacher knows the student has done their part.</p>
<p>When I was a college prof writing reccs for students, I resented it when students would hound me to get reccs in early. WHen I promised to write the reccs, I was promising to meet the deadline for those reccs. I was under no obligation to get things in early.</p>
<p>Teachers are writing reccs for a variety of students, and tend to do them in time to make the deadlines.</p>
<p>Also, sometimes if teachers do reccs far in advance, they've wasted their time because the students have changed their mind about applying. I learned that the hard way.</p>
<p>One last thing: This is a very busy time for teachers because they typically are having to do many recommendations while also preparing and grading exams. If the recommendations are not due until later this month or Jan., then the teachers probably will do them over vacation, when they do have the time to do a good job.</p>
<p>Hounding the teachers to get the reccs in early may cause the teachers to get them in early by doing a slipshod job. Writing a good letter of recommendation takes typically at least an hour, and such a letter includes specifics that are based on what the teacher has obseved in the student. It's easy to write a recommendation that is vague and short and just lists things the colege already knows such as the activities the student participates in and the student's grades in the teacher's class. It's much harder to refer to specifics such as good things the student has done in class, on papers or in activities the teacher advises.</p>
<p>Also -- did your D give the teachers a copy of her college essays, copies of excellent papers/exams she did in their class, info about why she's applying to the colleges and what she feels she has to offer those colleges? Providng such info helps the teachers write recommendations that will most help her admission.</p>
<p>Thank you for your replies NSM and jmom. A quick clarification: The recommendation form that has been "delinquent" for over four weeks is for a school that has a rolling admissions scheme. The others are a mixed bag, with some having a financial aid/scholarship deadline of 15 December, and yet others being due on 01 January.</p>
<p>I would make my way to the school and "run into" the offending teacher, thank her profusely for her part in your daughters app process that is driving everyone nuts, and the you just got a note from a number of schools (name them if you want) saying that they are missing the recs. You may also fit into the conversation, very humbly and very pollitely that the rolling admissions school has let you know (and it has by being a rolling admissions school) that they can't review her until the package is complete and that her chances diminish in time , as the seats are filling up. I would keep enough polite banter in there so that no offense is taken. I have to do this sort of thing a lot.</p>
<p>"I would make my way to the school and "run into" the offending teacher"</p>
<p>As a student, I'm just saying I'd be mortified if my parents got that involved.</p>
<p>I suggest having your D ask another teacher to write the rolling admission recc. It's inexcuseable to be 4 weeks late to a rolling admission school where the student has applied.
Assuming that the school is a public school, the content of the recc probably won't matter that much as long as some teacher sends one so the app is complete.</p>
<p>I agree with NSM. In that case, the clock is ticking, and without the rec, the file will just sit,and it really isn't as important what the rec says as long as it is not bad. Hopefully this procrastinating teacher's recs are worth the wait.</p>
<p>Sorry 19382, about the mortification. But sometimes, it is the most efficient way to get things done. Worse if parent calls the teacher, or asks for a meeting and makes it a big deal. A short mention of something at a chance meeting is not likely to make it an event. Some teachers, unfortunately find it easy to dismiss students, but they are a bit more careful about doing the same to the parents.</p>
<p>Perhaps the GC can get involved, and get things moving on your D's behalf.</p>
<p>GCs can be good for these things. My teachers were generally good with the recs as far as I remember but I also remember my GC asking me which teachers needed a little "prodding" so that she could email them.</p>
<p>they have a UNION - don't bother pressing them</p>
<p>Actually, the union has nothing to do with this. Writing a letter of rec is not a contractual requirement, but if they agree to do it, then they should complete it in a timely manner, and yes, administration and GCs can get on their cases. On the other hand, if you irritate the teacher, the rec may not be as good (some teachers are petty). If the GC is tactful, that's the best way to go; if not, D needs to be a little more forceful (The deadlines for my applications are coming very quickly, and one of my schools is rolling admissions where several admits have already been sent out - when can I count on these recs? - Followed up with " So I'll be by to pick them up on Dec ___, correct? I'll make sure to have my entire app ready to mail/submit as soon as I get it from you. Thank you!).</p>
<p>For reference, I was a high school teacher for several years and wrote several recs. Yes, teachers have a lot to do, but honestly, writing a letter does NOT take that long.</p>
<p>And start figuring out who else could write a quick, solid recommendation. You are bumping up on deadlines, not to mention the holiday season and the rolling away of opportunities with the rolling schools. Strongly urge you to have your child ask someone else this week.</p>