I’m thinking of getting my guidance counselor to write me one of my two letters of recommendation, but do universities generally see that as generic and that you have no one else to get a letter from? I have one teacher in mind who I’m going to ask for a letter from, but I could potentially get one from another teacher, if need be.
<p>universities care about the content of the letter, not the person who wrote it</p>
<p>Most colleges like to see a teacher who you had either sophomore or junior year. I got mine from an English teacher from my freshman year, but he was also my volleyball coach and my employer. I would try to get a teacher from either 10th or 11th grade though, probably someone who taught a core class. As for counselors, unless he/she knows you really well, the letter will probably be pretty generic. You should go and talk to your counselor for a while and tell them about yourself or write them a letter, that is what I did. Good luck!</p>
<p>Many times the guidance counselor also has a form to fill out that is like a letter of recommendation, so, depending on the college and its application form, it might be better to have two teachers, so you don't have a repeat in there.</p>
<p>Find teachers that have taught you in the core subjects: english, social studies, math, science, and world language. For many schools, they want 2 letters from teachers and 1 from a GC. You can always have a coach or employer write an additional rec.</p>
<p>Check the school guidelines - some are quite specific on who should write your recommendations. For example, some schools specify one science/math and one language/history/foreign language teacher. Other schools have a preference for junior or senior year teachers over undergrad teachers. Guidance counselors generally contribute a different sort of letter that covers administrative issues; some address your personal qualities also, some do not.</p>
<p>Unless it's a US Senator or highly influential alum, ask the person who can write the best letter.</p>