<p>HI!
I have an early action application due in four days and I had asked my teacher way in advance for a recommendation. I get it back today, which is the last day I will see him till it is due, and it is EXTREMELY SHORT: one paragraph in regards to my extracurricular activities (which is reiterated in my application anyhow), and then a paragraph about general positive attributes (she gets along with everyone, has a sense of humor), with no anecdotes at all. It just makes it past half a page.
Now, I've had this teacher for three years and we get along great, and I FELT like he knew a lot about me, which is why I trusted him to write my college recommendation. It comes back and I realize my 10th grade history teacher could have written a more in-depth one.
I can't ask for another recommendation now, what should I do? Are recommendations USUALLY this short? Can this seriously cripple me during the admissions process? Would it be horrible to ask him to write more for my future recommendations? Or should I look to another teacher for my future recommendations? </p>
<p>When you ask a teacher for a recommendation, you should give the person some information to help them. No matter how well you think the teacher knows you, the teacher has at a minimum dozens of other students, and probably will not remember in depth things about you unless you remind them.</p>
<p>Consequently, it's appropriate to give the teacher copies of outstanding tests or papers that you did in their class. It's also appropriate to give the teacher a note reminding them of outstanding things you did in any activities the teacher advises. In addition, it can help to give the teacher a copy of your college essays as well as a note explaining what attracted you to the colleges you're applying to, what you want out of your college education, and what your career goals are.</p>
<p>Usually colleges want recommendations from junior or senior year teachers because colleges want recent information about the student's performance and attributes.</p>
<p>My advice would be to go back to the teacher who wrote your original recommendation, give the teacher the info that I suggested, and see if the teacher will revise their recommendation.</p>
<p>By the way, most of the time students do not see what teachers write, so that adds to the importance of giving recommenders supporting documentation so they can write the most useful recommendations possible.</p>
<p>Also, usually teachers write one letter of recommendation for a student who is applying to college. The teachers don't write different recommendations for each college a student is applying to. The teacher simply sends copies of their original recommendation, which is perfectly fine with the colleges, which know that teachers don't have the time to write different recommendations for each college a student is applying to. If teachers were to do that, they'd have no time to teach.</p>
<p>Thanks.
The problem was, I had given him a very extensive list of all my acheievements, which I think he reiterated in the first part of the letter. I was hoping for something more personal and in depth. Is there some way to nicely go about asking for that?</p>
<p>Yes, you can give him the info that I suggested, and ask if he would add that to his recommendation.</p>
<p>If you want personal, indepth info, you have to provide that info to the teachers, not rely on their memories. The more you help them by providing the kind of info that I suggest, the better your recommendations will be.</p>
<p>While the GC needs a list of all of your achievements, ECs, etc., teachers don't need that because what the colleges look for in teacher's reccs are info about what the teacher learned about the student's character and academic ability based on the student's performance in class and in activities the teacher advised.</p>
<p>Paying the $15 to fully access the US News premium college on-line site would allow you to find out how much the colleges you are applying to weigh recommendations in admissions.</p>