<p>My son has 2 great teachers to write recs for him. The new CA teacher rec form doesn't come out until 7/1. Would it be ok for me to email the teachers and ask how they would like to receive the forms and other info--envelopes,etc. over the summer? Or, should my son be doing this exclusively?</p>
<p>I suggest you or your son ask your guidance or college counselor at your son's high school. Every school has a special procedure. In fact, your school should be giving some sort of assembly for juniors becoming seniors about how these things are done. We had both meetings for the parents and meetings for the students so that everyone knew exactly the procedure. Also, I suggest that your son ask his teachers their procedures. You might want to have your son put together a resume of accomplishments and things that his teachers can talk about in a recommendation. Make sure your son writes a thank you note.</p>
<p>The time-consuming part is to write the letter (it may take hours). And many teachers prefer to do this over the summer. Some teachers ask for reminder-lists about activities they may want to mention in the letter, and info about prospective major and colleges you are likely to apply. This schould be given to them before summer. Forms are easy to fill out (minutes). So this can be done next year when your son has ALL the envelopes ready. It is more frustrating for the teacher to do all the envelopes in summer (or in September) and then to be asked to redo everything because the list of colleges changed.</p>
<p>Have your son ask the teachers. You want the teachers to view him as being as independent, mature and responsible as possible. He can ask the teachers in person now.</p>
<p>" You might want to have your son put together a resume of accomplishments and things that his teachers can talk about in a recommendation. Make sure your son writes a thank you note."</p>
<p>Good ideas. The thank-you note should go to the teachers after they send the reccs. Then, when your S gets his college acceptances, he should either tell the teachers in person or write them a note.</p>
<p>For the reccs: Your S should give the teachers info about why he's applying to those particular colleges, what he's considering majoring in, and he also should remind the teachers about his accomplisments in their classes -- grades, excellent papers, tests, etc. This isn't showing off. It's providing info that will help them write the most useful reccs possible.</p>
<p>They don't need an activity list or resume because the colleges want the teachers to describe what the teachers have experienced with the student in class and activities that the teachers advise. Colleges don't want the teachers to regurgitate the student's resume.</p>