<p>My son found out today that one of the teachers he asked to write a recommendation for the common app somehow misunderstood and thought a recommendation he'd submitted for another school was the same thing, so he hadn't yet done it (two schools' deadlines have passed). My son sat with him and they got it done today, but of course the recommendations are late to two schools.
My son then saw that as soon as the teacher submitted the recommendation, it showed as "submitted" on his common app account, which made him realize that another of teachers (this one taught his Calculus class at a community college) hasn't submitted yet either. He is trying to contact him, but only has an e-mail address, and to make matters worse, the teacher is no longer teaching at the community college. We left a message at the community college, but so far nothing.
My son COULD have asked for the recommendations a little earlier, but he really did not ask last minute. The community college teacher said he'd be happy to do it and asked my son for a list of things he'd like included, which my son provided. My son also wrote "Thank You" notes to his teachers, thanking them for the recommendations (another little reminder) before break. The community college teacher e-mailed my son around deadline time saying he was having trouble finding the school code for his school , and my son emailed him back, providing him with the code.
I feel that my son acted responsibly and these teachers really let him down, especially the community college guy, who at best will provide a late letter, and at worst will disappear without a trace. What does my son do then? He needs a recommendation from a math teacher, and he would have to throw himself at the mercy of his math teacher from last year, at a school he doesn't even attend anymore. I don't think this guy would write a great letter, plus it will be horribly late, at best!
Just needed to vent, but if anyone has a suggestion, that would be great too.
Fortunately, my son's music teacher sent wonderful letters to all his schools, on time. Unfortunately, one of the schools will only take two letters, so music teacher doesn't count there...</p>
<p>I believe that the firm deadline is for students to submit their part of the application; it is expected that some scores and recs may be late. Perhaps the cc prof is working under this assumption. So tell your son not to lose heart, but do go after the prof!</p>
<p>I sometimes think that teachers get confused with all the deadlines, who they said they’d write for ,etc. Not an excuse, but a fact. Students need to make things really clear when they ask for the recs, ask for it BEFORE the due date, and not be afraid to follow up and give a reminder.</p>
<p>Did your son send the rest of his application materials in on time? If so, perhaps he needn’t fret. In most cases, the most important thing is that the application and STUDENT sent materials be received by the deadline date. Many schools understand that the student isn’t sending the recommendations. </p>
<p>Also, you can call the school and tell them the recommendations are on their way.</p>
<p>One of my kid’s recommendations to one of his top choice schools got LOST in the mail…TWICE. Needless to say, he was upset that he kept receiving postcards saying this hadn’t been sent. It was sent a third time. He got accepted to this school. BUT he did call them to let them know that the recommendation had been sent again (and again).</p>
<p>At most (possibly all) colleges, the deadline is firm for what the student has to submit – recommendations, transcripts, and test scores will be accepted after the deadline. In fact, what usually happens if the recs aren’t in is that the student is notified of “missing documents” a week or two after the deadline and then has an opportunity to get them resent. </p>
<p>As to the Calculus teacher, he may already have sent his recommendation by postal mail, which commonapp.org doesn’t report.</p>
<p>Bottom line is, although I understand your stress, I think it’s probably too early to get “heartsick.” At worst, it sounds like your son might have to scramble for one more recommendation. Not ideal, but not the end of the world either. Good luck to him.</p>
<p>There is no need to be heartsick.</p>
<p>Many colleges do not even send out notifications that there are missing elements in the applications until February.</p>
<p>As long as your son got HIS part of the application in on time, he is fine. Yes, he should definitely keep in touch with the teachers as he has been doing to make sure that the letters get done–and he should send the colleges’ admissions dept an email or note saying that he has been following up with the teachers and that the recs are coming. I can see that the situation with the math techer is a bit trickier. Your S might want to email him thanking him again and making clear how important his rec is for that school in particular.</p>
<p>But don’t get too upset yet. Colleges don’t “mark down” recs because they arrive on Feb 1st instead of Dec 1st! :)</p>
<p>No need to be heartsick. This happens all the time and colleges know that it is not necessarily the student’s fault. Colleges are busy putting together folders in January. If they find that letters are missing they let the students know and tell them the procedure for getting them in. (Our older son had a missing letter a few years ago - only one from one teacher so I think the post office lost it.) In his case they asked the teacher to fax it in, but they may have different preference at different schools. Since our first semester isn’t over yet, none of my son’s schools will be getting a midyear report for another couple of weeks.</p>
<p>Can you tell me where on the common app site it shows the status of teacher recommendations? I could not find it. Thanks.</p>
<p>I dont think the common application makes note of those documents you print off to give to teachers etc. I think this was referring to the college’s websites where the prospective student can log in and see what remains outstanding and checks off those things received. And I agree - the student has a responsibility to hit the deadline, but in our case, midyear transcripts werent even ready until third week of January. I think a good part of January is spent creating folders and just checking off what’s in and what’s not. While getting things in early is probably wise (and I highly recommend asking for recommendations at the start of senior year and no later than mid october for regular decision), it won’t be held against the applicant. Actually, if I am really honest, it would bother me more that S had picked both recommendations to come from people for whom my son was less than memorable.</p>
<p>My son submitted his app for Notre Dame Dec. 11 - his teacher/counselor promised to get their part done before the Dec. 31 deadline. The teacher got hers done, the counselor was having trouble getting the online form to accept the school code - she ended up having to fill out the paper form and send it in - luckily, it was mailed in time for the 31st. But today I emailed Notre Dame, just to note what had happened - they responded quickly (I was impressed to get a response on the same day I submitted a question) and said that as long as his app was in they should have no trouble putting the two together AND they said that if he was missing anything, they would contact him by Feb. 15 and request them. It all seemed very fine with them. 
Sometimes, it’s just a relief though, to hear them say say “don’t worry, it’s ok”. So perhaps, you should call his school(s) and talk to someone to relieve yourself!</p>
<p>RELAX! and tell your son to relax also! All admissions offices are currently sorting through thousands of pieces of paper, emails and other application material, and will be doing so for the next few weeks, and admissions officers KNOW that recommendation letters and otjher forms can be misfiled, not mailed, lost in the mail etc…That is why the have checklists where students can see what part of their application is still missing, so that a replacement mailed, faxed or emailed. Your son has not lost his chance at the college in question because of a missing recommendation letter.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone for the responses, suggestions, and reassurances. I appreciate it.
My son just got an email back from the community college guy, who asked him to resend the common app. invitation so that he can submit the recommendation. (I’m talking about online teacher recommendation forms for the common app.) Whew!</p>
<p>Modadunn, “Actually, if I am really honest, it would bother me more that S had picked both recommendations to come from people for whom my son was less than memorable.” I can see why my post may have given you that impression, but that is NOT the case for my son at all. The first late letter is from a teacher who volunteered to write for my son before he was even asked, and knows him well (in a very small high school at which few apply for college), and the community college prof was pretty much his only reasonable choice for a math recommendation, but he had a good rapport with him, chatted with him, and did very well in his class (which had only 15 students).
I’m guessing that the problem, for both teachers, was confusion over the online recommendation process for the common app.</p>
<p>Ok, Breathe…</p>
<p>No reason to be heart sick or in a panic. I agree with the others that nothing is late. </p>
<p>The application deadline is when the student must submit their work. For RD admission with a late march/april repsonse date, the teacher recs, transcripts, gc evaluation/recommendations are not due until february. Even then, most colleges will grant a professional courtesy and allow schools to fax/e-mail information and follow up with the original documentation in the mail.</p>
<p>In NYC public school system, the last day of classes for the fall term is January 25, regents run from the 26-29 and 7th semester grades are not out until 2/1.</p>
<p>Based on the number of emails my D. got from colleges (some of them highly selective schools) telling her that they had extended their deadlines, I wouldn’t sweat one or two late recommendations. Your son should be fine.</p>
<p>No need to fret at all. Really! Colleges are up to their elbows in application materials now. When D1 applied, one school sent her a notice that a teacher recommendation was missing from her packet. He said that he had sent it and I believe him–stuff gets lost all the time. But the upshot is that even a month after the deadline, schools are still collecting pieces of applications and not “holding it against” the applicant.</p>
<p>I had my son check one of his colleges last night. There was the common app listed as “completed” but “not received” in the “teacher recommendation” column – but I’m not worried (yet). The college states that they are processing supporting paperwork and will be for the next two weeks. </p>
<p>In our case, we know, for sure, that the teachers completed their letters in November/early December. They are trustworthy people. So, if ours is still not posted (even when done on the early side) then I can see where, perhaps, ALL the applications have a similar status at the moment. </p>
<p>When our older son went through the process a couple of years ago, one school dropped off his list toward the end of the application season. It was a “name brand” college --and, to our surprise, they repeatedly emailed him to see if he wanted to complete his application. </p>
<p>So, I think you’re good. If the student met all the deadlines, then he/she has passed a major hurdle. Certainly the student can email admissions and state that there was some confusion but things are on the way. That really should do it.</p>
<p>I agree with what everyone posted but thought I’d share some good advice that DD’s guidance counselor gave at a parent session. She suggested buying pre-stamped postcards from the post office (they cost 32 cents each and that includes the 29 cent postage cost) and including them with the teacher recommendation forms. My DD prepared a pre-addressed, stamped envelope for each teacher recommendation and included one of the postcards with each one. She addressed them to herself and put the college name on the back. We received all of them back with a date stamp. She had to send in separate forms via school for a couple of scholarship applications and included a postcard with these as well. It was a good way to know that the teacher recommendations arrived before they were even logged in on the colleges’ websites. It was very helpful so I’m hoping this approach may help someone else.</p>
<p>PA02008,
That is a great suggestion (I think another poster above suggested this also).
The recommendations that were late/missing for my son, though, were the ones that are submitted electronically, online for the common application. This seemed like a great, convenient way for teachers to submit recommendations, but if we had to do it over again, we would definitely opt of the old-fashioned, on-paper recommendations and include the postcards, as suggested.
All three of my son’s recommendation-writers ran into glitches/issues and confusion over submitting the recommendations online, but all letters are submitted now. Thank goodness! Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions and assurances. I’m sure I over-reacted initially, but it is a stressful situation, to say the least.</p>
<p>I am so glad for this thread. D got 2 letters from colleges yesterday saying that transcripts and reco. letters had not been received. She checked with the school sites that list that info on line, and they hadn’t gotten anything from her school either.</p>
<p>What flips my lid is that I gave the school all the manila envelopes addressed and with stamps (and with extra stamps for other kids who might not have stamps) before Thanksgiving. She has to take class time today to chase this down, and I am waiting for her text so I can go to the school, collect everything and Fed Ex it to her colleges.</p>
<p>Here’s the problem – a couple of the schools have rolling admission and she was hoping to have an answer before her college-visiting trip in Feb. </p>
<p>It is my understanding that, regarding financial aid, it is allocated early in the process, so due to her HS inefficiency, D could lose fin. aid. Am I wrong about that?</p>
<p>I am trying very hard not to over-react, but at this point I have a letter written in my head to the Superintendent. I am totally disgusted – D and I have been so active helping in many ways, including on school funding issues.</p>
<p>Mind you, my D is not the only one with college app problems at this school. It seems like the highest-achieving kids have had the worst problems. What is that about, I wonder.</p>
<p>That is frustrating, AM! My Ds got their stuff to teachers and GCs in early October so as to “beat the rush.” Teachers turned them around pretty quickly since they weren’t inundated with school, college admissions, and holiday distractions yet.</p>
<p>I would suggest that for anyone who has his or her college list somewhat solidified. You can always add a school or two at the end–which shouldn’t be such a difficult thing for the teacher since the letter itself is already written.</p>