<p>So this summer I had the chance of working in a university lab with 2 grad students and a prof, doing stuff in biochemistry. I also plan to go into the sciences (bio/biomed, etc.).</p>
<p>I was thinking of getting a recommendation letter from her, but I don't see any places on the common app profile that allow me to attach extra reference letters. Should I just ask the prof to write it, and then mail it to the admissions office?</p>
<p>I had a similar experience and, from the research I’ve done, you should just ask them to write it and mail it to the admissions office. It’ll be put into your file and probably help in their consideration.</p>
<p>Is it ok if she mails it BEFORE I submit my common application and other school forms? Because I mean, the universities won’t even have a “file” on me yet if I’ve never even submitted anything to them. Or would they just start a new file for me as soon as they get the mailed letter…</p>
<p>I honestly have no idea about that. I’d guess that you should try to gauge when you’ll send your applications and ask her to send it a little after that, but you should probably check with other people about that. If in doubt, you can always call up the admissions offices for the colleges you’re applying to and ask. They will definitely give you a straight answer.</p>
<p>oh ok. As long as it’s ok that she physically mails it, even though the rest of my application is online…Thanks!</p>
<p>I was wondering about this too so I emailed the admissions office of the school I am applying to and they gave me an address to send non-teacher recommendations.</p>
<p>I have a relative who’s an alumnus at my number one, and she asked if she could write me a rec, so I called the admissions office to ask whether they’d appreciate it or just be annoyed. They told me they’d love to read it and said to add her as a “teacher” on the Common App, and then have her specify in her letter that she’s actually not. I’d assume that it varies from school to school, so I’d suggest that you do the same for at least one or two of your top choices.</p>
<p>oh ok. Thanks! But the thing with me is, that she doesn’t teach at my high school. She’s a university prof…so I can’t really put her down as a school official/teacher can I?</p>
<p>I figured if anything, she should just send it out physically to the admissions office. However, I’m just unsure because there are a lot of rules regarding which documents must be online/offline, since I’m doing common app online…</p>
<p>Don’t mark them as one of your teacher recommendations online—those should actually be from teachers—but do have them fill out a physical copy of the teacher rec form and mail it in.</p>
<p>is that alright though, to have applications online, and then teacher reommendation as mail? Because they really emphasized that common app and supplement application should be same format. So i was thinking extra letter should be same thing?</p>
<p>You know what, I thought I read that information somewhere, that they should mail it in, but I can’t find the source now. I think I’m gonna email CommonApp help about it because I’ll be sending an additional letter from a professor also. =p</p>
<p>oh ok. Could you please update the rest of us on what they reply? Thanks!</p>
<p>I found the source I was remembering.</p>
<p>Go to this link, click “Completing the Application” on the right, and “School Forms” below that, and click on number 7: "I want to invite a non-academic recommender.
[Support</a> Center](<a href=“http://s3.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5524]Support”>http://s3.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5524)</p>
<p>I’ll just quote it:
</p>
<p>But…do they HAVE to fill out one of those teacher forms? because most of those don’t really apply to the LoR’s that I’m getting…Can’t they just send the letters directly to the address with my name on the letter somewhere lol?</p>
<p>I’m wondering about this as well. How is a employer/university professor going to fill out the teacher recommendation form on the common app if they’ve never taught you/had you in a class? The form has questions that only a teacher would have answers to.</p>
<p>Most colleges require 2 teacher recommendations by teachers of “core subjects” - can I get my senior year AP Psych teacher to write me one? (will that be accepted by colleges?)</p>