<p>My S is a rising Senior, and has been fortunate enough to get a paid internship in the field he hopes to pursue in college, in a lab with a tenured prof at a state flagship. The prof is providing nice mentoring and wording for resumes, and from his comments, S has reason to believe he would get a very nice LOR from this prof. S was all set to have his AP Bio teacher and his AP Eng teacher write his LORs for the Common App, but now is wondering whether it would be better to replace one of those with an LOR from this professor? Everyone only talks about teacher references on the Common App...is the student ALLOWED to use someone besides teachers? Would it be better to "save" the LOR from the prof for scholarship opportunities? He is planning to apply to some of those lottery schools where it will be important to find a way to set himself apart...</p>
<p>I was wondering the same thing. I am in a high school dual enrollment program and have more community college professors than high school teachers. I hope others reply.</p>
<p>Different colleges have different policies. Follow the rules of each school - believe it or not, the ability to follow directions is part of the process.</p>
<p>A letter from a community college professor is still a teacher rec, but a letter from someone who works with you in an internship is not.</p>
<p>There are many reasons why this is so - high level of nepotism is high school internships, different expectations, etc. The Jeter is valuable, but not as a replacement for a teacher rec, unless the college specifically states that anyone can write that rec.</p>
<p>It is always with it to inquire about additional recs, especially if they are stellar and can add something new to the picture of the candidate. If it is not uniquely fabulous, save it for scholarships.</p>
<p>He sounds like a student who can expect equally great LORs from his HS teachers. I would have the two HS teachers write the LORs for the Common App, then submit a supplemental letter from the prof.</p>
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<p>Simple answer: no.</p>
<p>LORs can come from an athletic coach, from a boss at work, etc.</p>
<p>Sakacar brings up an important point regarding nepotism.</p>
<p>You have to think about something very carefully - is the professor’s LOR going to contrast sharply with what teachers may say about your son? How outstanding of a performer is he in school? If this prof’s rec is inconsistent, it can actually throw up warning flags and not only invalidate the prof’s particular recs, but also do additional damage to the general legitimacy of your son’s application.</p>
<p>Everyone knows that the level of contribution a high school student makes in a summer internship is generally minimal. Heck, the same can be said of a lot of college internships. So tread carefully and don’t push for anything too spectacular.</p>
<p>I’ve written a short section on finding the right teacher for recommendations here [Teacher</a> Recommendations - The App Style](<a href=“http://theappstyle.com/teacher-recommendations/]Teacher”>The App Style - A College Application Guide)</p>