<p>Is this morally acceptable? What's the verdict on this one</p>
<p>i know some teachers ASK you to do that....
but id like to know too</p>
<p>Just to clarify,the reason I ask is that some of the teachers with which I had good relationships are terrible writers or not very articulate, so I can choose between my english teacher who is an excellent writer but will also give a generic rec, or teachers more relavent to my major who are not very good writers.</p>
<p>What in the world is ghost writing?
Is it writing yourself what the teacher would've said?</p>
<p>Yea, basically you write your own letter of rec from the teacher's point of view</p>
<p>Wow. And does the teacher approve of this?</p>
<p>Honestly I think it's totally despicable. Honestly, it seems downright fraudulent to me. You're writing another person's perspective on how wonderful you are... yeah, sounds like a really fair perspective. Sorry to pick on you, but this just seems really cheap, considering that the rest of us are taking a gamble on how our letters of recommendation turn out.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I'm really lucky in that the teacher who probably likes me the most in my school also teaches English.</p>
<p>^ I agree. I know some teachers who ask students to tell them in a page or two why they should write a letter of rec for them...So, basically a student writing a rec for himself/herself to give to the teacher. I don't know what the teachers do with it, though. (I can understand if the teacher does this just to weed out having to write 30 recs in a year by not writing recs for students too lazy to do this. But, I can also imagine them using a lot of the student's words in the rec...I don't know, though.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wow. And does the teacher approve of this?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, they have to sign it and be able to attest to everything that's said.</p>
<p>anybody else have anything to say about this? in my school it seems to be standard procedure for many teachers</p>
<p>many teachers require a "brag sheet" for recs. a teacher I know basically rewrites this brag sheet for his recommendations (or focuses in on one thing, which is closer to the right idea), so in a way that is like ghostwriting a rec.</p>
<p>I dont think its acceptable, but then im against the idea of teacher recs being required at all at high school level. At most schools education is too impersonal for such requirements to be imposed.</p>
<p>Brag sheets are OK. Teachers want to make sure they do not forget your important achievements they are expected to know about and ... that they do not mix you up with someone else (things happen). But those are FACTS.
Ghost writing in OP's version is OPINION. To me it is 100% cheating. If it leaks to the college the admission will likely be revoked. And I have hard time believing teachers will ever do it. Once again - if it leaks, they should be fired with a bad recored.
It would be fun to see how the OP would offer such option to teachers.</p>
<p>I have never even heard of "ghostwriting" a recommendation before. I don't think any of my teachers would consent to this. I think a brag sheet plus how they know you personally should be enough for the teacher to write your recommendation.</p>
<p>Brag sheet is Nonsense! Colleges don't want your teachers to write a recommendation based on what you did. thats what your extra-curricular section is for on your college application. A teacher should be able to tell about qualities that will make you a good candidate to X University. Not reiterating things that admissions officers will eventually see on the application.</p>
<p>I was asked to write a draft of one for one of Ds references....I think it's partly to save time....so I wrote what I thought the person would say. However, the person edited to add more positive comments than what I felt comfortable suggesting. </p>
<p>I know job references often ask the subject to draft a letter of recommendation for them....don't think there is anything wrong with it as long as the recommender reviews (editing where necessary) and signs the letter.</p>
<p>At S's school we developed a recommendation packet to assist teachers with the multiple recommendation letters they must write. The student completes a questionaire with items such as why that teachers course was important to the student and what assignments the student particularly found inspiring or challenging. It also contains information regarding the students short and long-term career and educational objectives, which a teacher outside the student's area might not know. Many colleges require two recommendations: one science or math and one english or history. So it is good to help the teacher from the not-so-liked discipline with information about the student's passion. But to actually have the student write the letter...I know of a teacher who joked about that, but I have never heard of one actually asking a kid, or parent, to write the letter for the teacher to sign.
I agree with the poster who said high school recommendations are not helpful. It is hard on the kids and the teachers and the counselor recommendations are even less useful when the counselor is overburdened and does not know the student in any meaningful way.</p>