Wait, I’m confused, sorry…
So I’m applying to 18 different schools (don’t ask me about it), using the Common AP for most, and choosing to do 5 of them from the college’s applications.
Does that mean that for every teacher, I need to give them 18 copies of the Common Ap. Recommendation checklist, and then 5 from the College’s Application Recommendation Checklists ?
Sorry, the process just sounds crazy, especially since my teachers just gave me a packet to fill out, and no other information attached to it (well I obviously knew that I need to give them stamped envelopes, but checklists too!?)
No, you would give them one copy of the Common App form, and they would photocopy it 18 times. As for individual college apps, I would give them each form (usually colleges like teachers to submit that form; makes it easier to file I guess) but generally teachers will staple a copy of their rec to the form (instead of filling it out again)
Can I have my swim coach, who is a history teacher at my school but not my teacher, write my rec??? I mean I see him everyday(even after the season is over). He even calls himself my big brother
If you really think that it will add to the rest of your application (generally I’ve read that college people don’t want supplemental recs unless they’re really necessary), ask for one as a supplemental rec. But only if it’s necessary, OK? A lot of people have been asking about this on CC.
On most rec. forms they ask “How long have you know this student and in what capacity?”. He will have to say as a coach, not as a teacher, but I still think you should submit his rec if he knows you that well
People, this link that george88ab is posting isn’t real.
<ol>
<li>If you look at the blog, you’ll see that the blogger remains anonymous and shows nothing that proves that he is an admissions dean at all.</li>
<li>His email is <a href="mailto:george88ab@yahoo.com">george88ab@yahoo.com</a>, which (1) isn’t a legitimate college e-mail; e-mails from admissions deans, students, and professors end in .edu, and (2) is pretty much your screen name.</li>
<li>Google george88ab and this is what you get: a link to a YouTube page of a 19 year old who said that “Obama and Farrakhan are in bed together.” </li>
<li>Google george88b and you get a Wikipedia page that says “George _______ is one of the greatest pimps to ever live.”</li>
<li>Furthermore, look at the blog’s post on June 25, 2008. Now look at the question posted by kt17 here: BIG dilemma!! Anyone can see that, except for the last few sentences, they’re exactly the same.
I rest my case.</li>
</ol>
Here’s something from Dave Berry and Sally Rubenstone, about how many teacher recommendations to send.
Letters of Recommendation
How many?
I recommend exceeding a school’s rec limit by only two at most. Too many recs tend to turn off the admissions people. You’ll appear to be pandering to them and perhaps even trying to compensate for some innate deficiency in your application if you flood them with recs.
The important thing to remember is that colleges look to recs for crucial insights into who you are. That’s why your rec writers should come from only those people who know you very well personally and who can articulate that knowledge within an anecdotal context (that is, by relating short, specific stories that support their contentions about you).
It’s far better to have four superb recs than it is to have 40 boilerplated (aka: meaningless) ones. Choose your rec writers very carefully. The recommendation is the most often overlooked, misunderstood, and underestimated weapon in your application arsenal. Use it wisely.
Unless a college states otherwise, two teacher recs are plenty. Here’s one exception: many colleges ask for two teacher recs. Often a student has a close relationship with an additional teacher through an extracurricular activity (e.g., that teacher is the yearbook advisor or community service director). If that activity is a major focal point of your life, you can ask for a third teacher rec, making clear that you want it to come from the perspective of an EC advisor, regardless of whether this teacher loved having you in 8th grade earth science or sophomore driver’s ed.
BTW, optional recommendations, as such, do not have to be confidential. When soliciting them, you can present those who write them with envelopes addressed to you. You can then decide if the letters should get sent to your target schools. If you are applying to highly competitive colleges like the majority of those on your list, the only optional recs really worth sending are those that depict you as being truly unique or at least quite outstanding.
Definitely don’t overwhelm colleges with recommendations. The old admission adage still prevails: “The thicker the folder, the thicker the kid.”
my dad works for ibm and they have a college counseling service. the biggest thing they stressed to him was not to send more recs than colleges ask for.
An exception may be when student is engaged in a activity (most likely not the usual sports or clubs) that really can’t be highlighted in the app. My S was told by his #1 choice school to send the extra rec if it added substantially to his application.
So 2 teacher recs and 1 counselor?
Or 1 teacher and 1 counselor?
Can I have 1 teacher, 1 counselor, and 1 from another source?
Does it look bad if I don’t ask core class teachers? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to make sure.
yes usually most schools that require recommendations want 2 recs from core teachers and 1 from counselor. Outside sources can be added on to that but sometimes can even hurt you.
xybciba: depends on the school. As Silverzc413 put it, most schools require core class teacher recs. You should go to the websites of the colleges you’re applying to and check their application requirements.
For Georgetown, I’m definitely sending one extra rec and most likely a third. That’s just because I feel like there’s more to me than one teacher can know. It still blows my mind why Georgetown would only ask for one rec, though… UW only asks for one.
First you ask the people you want recs from. They not only have letters to write but also (for teachers and counselors) there are forms to fill out. Part of the form is filled out by you, where you have your basic information. Each teacher/counselor will mail in your rec, so give them envelopes with the address and everything unless they ask otherwise.
I remember reading on a college’s website that your name needs to be on every single page, and a few said your SSN as well (on the back). You should probably go on each individual college’s website to check their policy because they do differ among the ones I’m applying to.
HI, I’m a senior starting on August. I want to apply for Biomedical Engineering, but I don’t have any decided school. Recommendations are important and I had a question as to which teachers should I ask it.Since BME is related to math and biology, I am doubting. My Spanish and History teachers adore me and would write an amazing recommendation letter, they are the ones who know me and my curiosity the best:P. My Biology teachers thinks I am an excellent student but not quite as the other teachers. My math teacher would probably just say I am a very good student in a highly demanding course or something like that. Which teachers should I ask? Will it matter on the application process for BME?
I’m a little bit confused about who to ask for recommendations.
I’m an international, and I don’t really have something like a counselor.
Then I have a faculty advisor, homeroom teacher, whatever you want to call it. She’s handing out the report cards at the end of the semester, important information. Generally spoken, if I had a problem with any of my classes or something other, she is the first to go to. Should I ask her to fill out the counselor rec? Although I’m not sure how good her english is.
However she doesn’t handle the scheduling of classes. That’s being done by another teacher, who is at the same time my English teacher. I’d really want to ask her for the teacher rec, because I think she has a lot of good thinks to tell about me, but due to her doing the scheduling I wonder if she is the one to ask for a counselor rec?
I’ve read multiple times on CC, that it’s generally adviseble to ask one language/humanities and one science/math teacher for recs? What If I asked two languages teacher? The mentioned english teacher and my latin teacher, whom I had until sophomore year?
