How to ask for recommendations?

For sending a thank you letter, I think people say to send them a thank you note once they’ve submitted them and then maybe again when you get the decisions and decide where you’ll go, but I’m not really sure about that

alright guys, here’s my first post lol. international student, applying for ED.

my little dilemma here is that i’ve got two teachers from whom i was gonna get recommendations and whom i’ve told about my application plans and stuff, and they’re both humanities teachers (i’m a humanities student). but on the other hand, my math grades in school are really bad, especially throughout this year with my failing spectacularly and stuff, so i thought of getting a recommendation from my math teacher since it might be a way for me to like, ‘mitigate’ my math crutch. cuz i do see her for help quite a bit and she knows that i have been trying, though not absolutely consistently. should i?

but then again, i did get 790 and 800 for my SAT I math and SAT II math 2 tests respectively (i’m studying in singapore where math is generally very tough), so i’m not sure if i should just stick with recs from my two humanities teachers. is it worth getting a rec from my math teacher to try making my crappy math performance in school stick out less?

thanks

I’m sorry, but I’m really confused about the Common App recommendation form. Do I need to print out a copy of it for each school and give it to the teacher? My school uses Naviance, if that makes a difference??

I’m wondering what type of envelopes to use – is it horrible that I already gave my teacher a regular long white envelope? She would have to fold the letter for it to fit! And do manila envelopes require multiples stamps?<br>
:confused:

Do you have to give your AP scores/ACT/SAt breakdowns on the packet which would help them write the recc?

How bad is it that I’m going to ask a sophomore year teacher for one of the two letters of recommendation? This teacher is my favorite teacher, and I know her pretty well. She is a English teacher, so she should be able to write a pretty good letter. For the other letter. I’m asking my AP Biology teacher from junior year. I’ve gotten good grades in AP Biology and scored very high on the AP exam and SAT subject test. I have also declared Biology as my major on my applications. I know my AP Biology teacher fairly well.

@e5volcano It depends on your teacher, but probably not. Both of my teachers knew me pretty well, so they just wanted a quick list of ECs and whatever else I might want mentioned. I’m not sure that little information is the norm, but I don’t think most teachers want all your statistics. They’re writing primarily about what they know from having you in class.

@marcopchen I don’t think it’s that bed. Although you should double-check your school’s information because a few schools require that your recommendations be from a junior or senior year. Have you kept in contact with her throughout your junior year? It might seem a little odd if you haven’t talked to her since the end of sophomore year.

Four of the schools I’m applying to only require one recommendation, but I’d like to send two. Thing is, they’re on the Common Application, so I think my teachers are going to submit their letters online. Will the website even let the second teacher submit a second letter of recommendation? If not, should I have him submit those four in the mail, or should I just not have him submit anything to those schools?

I have talked to her since the end of sophomore year. I know her pretty well.

Hi, im an international student and my teachers all like me and told me they’d write me the letters but they’re not quite sure WHAT to write …
how would the best letter of rec possible look like?
thanks…

^A lot of schools have a specific form that they want the teacher to fill out

your kidding right
he can run a whole school
but needs help writing a recommendation letter
anyways doesn’t he have secretaries to help him with this kind of stuff

well, here’s what i did. i applied to around 17 schools.
so, i went up to my 2 of my teachers, asked them to write me recos, then i got them printed under my school’s letterhead (official seal) and sent them physically to the colleges.

hey
im just wondering would it be OK to get a recommendation from say a Band or Orchestra teacher?
I have been active in it for my whole high school career and I don’t know my academic teachers that well.
:\

Can I ask teachers from last year (my junior year) to recommend me?

Would it be a good idea to get a recommendation from my doctor? He offered and hes an ivy-leaguer…so…idk…help! : /

i want my psychology teacher to write my rec but is psychology considered science or social studies?

Hi guys, im an international(Chile btw, not very common right?) applicant to wharton undergrad, I was wondering if it was better to get recommendations from people that don’t know me that much, but are REALLY important and recognized internationally, rather than high school teachers that know me much better. what do you think?

unless those important people are wharton alumni, I would go with the teachers that actually know you.

10char10char

It is so easy that it is hard to get people to write you letters of rec. First step is to find someone in your academic community who you think or feel will be able to give you the best and most genuine letter of recommendation. If you have time, like a whole semester to get the letter written make plans to get to know a teacher in one of your classes. If you are wanting to be a business or engineering major you will probably want to get a pre calc or calc teacher to write you one or if you are a majoring in the natural/biological sciences maybe a chemistry teacher. Get the picture? Now from the first day of class make sure you sit in the front of class if you can and raise your hand a lot. Be a part of the curriculum some how. Study hard and get an A if you can. Get to know your teacher by staying after class to discuss homework or your reading. Then when the deadline is nearing simply Ask? But the point is that if you want someone to give their heart and soul to your letter of rec you need to stand out to them. Or you can simply ask someone and they’ll write you something generic.