Also, on the common app, it asks to invite officials to submit recommendations online. Do people generally not do this? Would this replace having to give them all of the forms and stamped envelopes? This seems a lot simpler.
My guidance councilor wouldn’t even let me consider using teachers not from Junior and Senior year. If you have that 10th grade teacher again, i think it would be okay.
@sparksfly, I’m asking a teacher from 10th grade. But then, I’m homeschooled and don’t have many options (he’s a community college professor). I would say that you should pick whoever is going to write the best recommendation, though. Just be sure to consider all your options, as colleges do sometimes say that they prefer a teacher you had in 11th or 12th grade. But if you come to the conclusion that a recommendation from your 10th grade teacher would be most beneficial to you, as long as all your colleges say they’ll accept it, I would say go for it!
When do we need to ask for recommendation letter? Is that only for appeal?
Just in general? You should ask as soon as possible so that they have time to do a good job. And a lot of schools require 1 or 2 teacher recommendations with the application, so it’s not just for appeals if that’s what you mean
I’m wondering if it looks bad to have, for example, two English teachers do your recommendation? or should it be for different classes? A lot of my teachers left the school the end of my junior year, so i’m starting with a bunch of new teachers and the only core class teachers I have left are English.
If you’re going for a science major, would it be smarter to ask a science teacher for a rec? I don’t know why, but I haven’t had the best relationships with my science teachers. Like, they weren’t terrible, but they weren’t the best. I’ve had better ones with my English teachers.
Also, if I don’t know my guidance counselor, would she still write me a recommendation? Because UMichigan requires a guidance counselor’s rec.
I am pretty sure most schools need a guidance counselor to write one, so you better get to know her.
Hi, I’m applying to a few top schools as a chemistry major. However, my best letters of rec will come from my English and Spanish teachers. Is this a problem?
I have a lot of demonstrated interest in writing and the humanities. I’m just worried about my science major and two letters of rec from humanities teachers.
I’m not too sure about what the online stuff is for too. My 10th grade math teacher is giving me a glowing letter! I had a meeting with him about the letter and he summarized what he was going to say. I mean I always knew I was a pretty goof student but he really had nice things to say.
A couple questions:
^fivesixnineten-
Consider writing an academic resume. You can not expect any one teacher, or your GC to know everything you’ve done. Include GPA, AP classes, ECs, awards, work experience & volunteer work. They may choose to look at it, they may not. They may not use any of the information given, however the ‘tone’ of their recommendation may be different if they realize not only were you a great student, you were also an Eagle Scout, or perhaps a Black Belt. Those are things they may respect.
If your teacher doesn’t want to use the online portal for the Common App, you can download the form from the website as a pdf. Fill out the top portion with your personal information, school address, etc. Save the document and email it as an attachment to your teacher. She can fill it out on her computer once, print it 12 times. The only thing you’ll have to remember here is to go back to her before she sends them out so you can sign the hard copy. You then have your 12 envelopes and you’re ready to go. It’s a bit jumbled in that you have to get back with her to sign, however if you print out 12 hard copies & sign before you give them to her, then she has 12 to fill out instead of 1. Make sense?
I’m going through the list of schools now and it seems everyone wants them sent a different way…online only, hard copy with transcript through GC, don’t bother we won’t read them, much more confusing then when they said ‘just ask and give the addressed envelopes.’. In the meantime you are hoping you don’t irritate the teacher because they are doing you a huge favor!
i have a few questions, and i didn’t look through all 47 pages of this thread haha so if it has already been answered please just direct me to the page. i am applying ED to a school that will only accept one teacher recommendation and one guidance counselor recommendation; however, i already asked two teachers for college recommendations because at the time i was still unsure where i was going to apply. and also since i hear back from my ED school dec 15th and other college apps are due jan 1, if i don’t get in it is not enough time to find more teachers to write good recs. so what do i do?? i am probably going to need both teachers recs for scholarships and whatnot as well, i just don’t know what to do when submitting my list of colleges to them? do i just give them both envelopes addressed to my ED school? please help!
Most likely, you can submit more than one teacher rec, although you only need one. Those teachers will write one recommendation for you, and just send them off to each of the schools you apply to
^^^Thanks, blueiguana. Thankfully, my teachers agreed to do the recs online via Common App once I told them the benefits! 
Another question for a different teacher/situation – what do you put on the envelopes besides the school address and a stamp? Any return address?
My school requires us to fill out (and then type) a self-assessment which we must give to our teachers along with an academic resume when we give them recommendation forms. I would say that you should give your teachers at least a resume, it wouldn’t hurt for them to know even more about you.
Okay, so I’ve looked through this thread and I’m still confused… can someone please post a step by step of recommendations starting with getting the forms and ending with the teacher sending them off? Thanks.
So, if I am applying to 11 schools, do I still ask only two teachers to write my recommendations and then have them photocopy them? Do the recs have to be school specific?
I’m trying to search through this thread, but it is very long. Could someone please write a list of everything I need to give the teacher? Stamped, addressed envelopes to each of the schools and a resume… is it that it?
Also, how long should I wait before sending a thank-you letter?
My teachers asked for a list of colleges, resume, and a copy of the rec form(all mine are common app being submitted online) in a folder. For schools that aren’t online, I think the general etiquette is all the stuff i listed, plus addressed envelopes with stamps