One of my teachers in high school used a template, at first I was skeptical since I was worried she wasn’t putting a lot of time into it, but honestly I think it worked out for the best because the template forced her to be way more detailed, something to think about when considering this.
It’s cool. It was just a suggestion.
However, being formal in high school got me
as many recommendations as I needed
accepted into every school I applied at
a Full-Ride at every school I applied at,
book vouchers.
I even had admission representatives personally deliver applications and acceptance letters to my house. I ended choosing a private university where tutition a year was $25,000 a year for 8 years (ABA & BA) and I have never paid anytime out of pocket. Which allowed me to only have to reuest loans if I needed to buy a computer, software, car insurance or something I needed for school.
Soooo like I said, It was just a suggestion. It’s not about being “to formal” as a high school student. It’s about showing your teachers and eventually colleges that you mean business when it comes to furthering your education. Thats it.
No hard feeling. I like feedback. It helps me grow as a person and it helps me assist the students I work with. TTYL 
I’m having trouble deciding who to ask for recs. I’m very shy and quiet when I’m at school. I’m struggling with social anxiety, so it’s hard for me to be relaxed and comfortable in social situations. I participate in my classes every now and then, turn in my work, and get decent grades. However, I don’t feel like I’ve really bonded or connected with a teacher because I’m so quiet. There are teachers who I absolutely love having, but I don’t know how they feel about me. It’s hard for me to accurately try to gauge what they think of me because I always tend to think that no one likes me (it’s the social anxiety). What do I do?
Well, which teachers do you think will write the best rec letters?
Hey guys,
I’m a Junior in HS and I’m planning on asking my Honors English teacher from last year (Sophomore year) for a recommendation. Am I planning ahead of time? I’ve participated in a poetry contest and stuff through her and have a somewhat good connection with her. When I do ask her for a recommendation, should I do it in person or simply send an email to her saying something like “Hey Ms. ____; could you write a recommendation for me for college?”
I’d prefer if you reply to this through PM on CC.
Thanks,
dchow, I think my math and english teachers will write me the best rec, but I don’t feel as if I have a particularly close relationship with either of them. Those are my two best classes and and those teachers seem to be the most friendliest towards me.
Is it okay if the teacher is retired?
As long as the teacher has taught you, it’s okay.
This has probably been said before, but I’ll say it again: DON’T ASK A TEACHER WHO IS AN ALUMNI OF THE SCHOOL YOU ARE APPLYING TO JUST BECAUSE HE/SHE IS AN ALUMNI!!! There was a kid at my school this year who applied to stanford SCEA who asked the AP stats teacher(who is a stanford alum) for a letter of rec. When the student asked the teacher, he chuckled and said “You aren’t going to get in” but the kid insisted. He was eventually flat-out rejected from Stanford. Ask the teachers who know you well and like you. Luckily one of the teachers I asked, I have known since 9th grade and the other offered 
The teacher is supposed to write about your character. You have already filled the college in on your accomplishments. So just go up to a teacher who is really nice to you and politely ask them. It’s scary at first because you don’t want to seem like a burden – but they are usually nice about it.
Cast,
I asked my English Honors teacher junior year. He thought it was weird that I asked junior year, but he still did it willingly. I suggest asking in person because it is more sincere and the recommendation will probably be better. Don’t be afraid - just do it.
I asked two of my teachers for a rec to a summer internship thingy, however, all they had to do was check some boxes, not actually write anything. i thanked one of them profusely when it was handed back, but the other kind of ran away / started class before i could do any thanking. should i write thank-you notes? it seems kind of weird to write them for a rec that probably took less than three minutes, but i’m not sure.
You should give your teacher a “brag sheet” which is basically a resume to help them decide what to write about, and based on what you think is best, you might want to include a brief summary of why you’ve decided to apply for that college.
I also asked my teachers for a recommendations for summer camps and was wondering the same thing…should I do thank you notes?
You can if you want. It’s just a nice gesture.
Is it weird to go and ask a teacher from the previous school year to write you a recommendation? Like, I’m a junior right now, and I was going to get a rec from a 10th grade teacher.
No that happens a lot.
I’m curious if having an alum write a recommendation really helps (and if so, how much?).
Although I’m still a junior, I’ve already asked tw
o of my teachers for college recs, including my APUSH teacher/favorite teacher. I’m thinking about going into political science and enjoy history, so I know her recommendation will be relevant to my interests.
She also is an alum of both Columbia College and Columbia Law, and my dream school is Columbia. Will her recommendation truly influence my application to Columbia or does it really not hold much weight in the long run?
I’m homeschooled, and I don’t understand the whole timeline thing. If I don’t intend to send off the Common Application till November at the earliest, but I finish working with a teacher much earlier than that, should I ask them to send the recommendation to the university ASAP? And, when I do send the Common Application, what should I enter in the “Teacher Evaluations” part?
Thanks.
to Blairee:This has probably been said before, but I’ll say it again: DON’T ASK A TEACHER WHO IS AN ALUMNI OF THE SCHOOL YOU ARE APPLYING TO JUST BECAUSE HE/SHE IS AN ALUMNI!!! There was a kid at my school this year who applied to stanford SCEA who asked the AP stats teacher(who is a stanford alum) for a letter of rec. When the student asked the teacher, he chuckled and said “You aren’t going to get in” but the kid insisted. He was eventually flat-out rejected from Stanford. Ask the teachers who know you well and like you. Luckily one of the teachers I asked, I have known since 9th grade and the other offered
^^^ one of my posts on the last page./