Is it common for a teacher to ask for a resume when writing your rec?
liv4physicz: Yep, most of my teachers did.
yanks4life92: Yeah, I think thatās a good plan. From what I saw when applying, schools strongly encouraged recs from junior year.
Crunchyfrog: I think this is because thatās last yearās version of the Common App, so obviously the deadline for that one has already passed. The new version of the commonapp for this yearās applicants comes out on August 1, I think, so then you can add your schools for this year and get the forms with the current date to give to your teachers.
mapleleaf: what exactly does one put on it? awards? ECs? leaderships? jobs? community service? academic achievements? all of the above?
haha, sorry, iām just sort of clueless!
I had sections for ECs, community service, and awards (academic and extracurricular). I basically just followed the common app format and put the activity, weeks/yr and hours/week, leadership positions, and years involved. Awards I just listed, put a description, and the year earned. Community service, I put the activity, description, and hours. I didnāt do work experience because I didnāt work while I was in school. And I did this in a chart-like format. Also, because my teachers asked for it, I put my GPA and test scores. I think thatās it.
Most of the teachers at my school wanted a resume, but Iām not sure how that works at your school. Maybe when you see them (make sure you get to them early) to ask for a letter, ask if theyād like your activities resume or any additional information. I hope this helps you!
thanks! btw, congrats on northwestern! youāre living my dream haha, i love NU
oh and how many teachers did you ask? is 1 + counselor fine?
Haha thanks! 
And yeah, 1 teacher plus the counselor is fine. I actually sent NU 3 recs, but thatās because I want to double major in chemistry and history, so I wanted to address my strengths in both those areas and I knew both teachers well, and I sent one from a music director at my school because music was my main EC and I want to get involved in music in college. I donāt think sending that many is necessary, though, and I think sending 1 would be good, if not ideal; when I visited, the admissions lady giving the talk actually complained about kids who send in too many recs, and she said that 1 was really all they needed because they can start getting redundant.
Yeah Iāve heard some other schools also say they prefer just one before too. Actually, my physics teacher is really the only teacher who I have a really good relationship with and who knows me really well (and I want to do engineering) so that works nicely!
What school were you accepted to? Weinberg? And what were your GPA/test scores?
Yes, resume necessary for admission. But most of colleges wont allow recommendation. They admitting students according to admission test result. So better to perform Test.
^ Hunh?
āresume necessary for admissionā Where is this?
T26E4, I think jacobadam means that some teachers ask for a resume when writing a recommendationā¦ But I know UT likes one for the freshman admission process.
When you got talent in you then what recommendation gonna do with that ?
Is a recommendation from a teacher that teaches a core subject (English, History, Science, math) necessary? Am I better off using a recommendation from a teacher whose subject matter is related to the major Iām pursuing or a recommendation from a teacher whose subject is unrelated, but knows me better?
I made the mistake of not being consistent in getting recommendations. After you have left school or a job, it gets much harder. This is my advice in hindsight:
You should not worry about approaching prospective people for recommendation, even if it has been a while since been in contact. For those for whom you are currently still employed or taking a class Ā all the better to ask for a letter of recommendation now, while you are still fresh in their mind. And, by all means, donĀt concern yourself with thinking that you are asking them a favor; professors and doctors are used to writing letter for people. In fact, it is part of their job!
When asking for a letters of rec, talk to your teachers early. They get overwhelmed with students coming to them last minute. Ask each teacher (who you like and likes you) if they feel comfortable writing a letter for you. If they say yes, return with:
- Cover letter thanking them and telling them where you are applying.
- Stamped and addressed envelopes (for schools who donāt allow electronic submission)
- Your brag sheet or extracurricular resume (so they can talk about what you do outside of the classroom too).
- Samples of any strong papers or projects from their class.
- A rough draft or current draft of your personal essay.
Iāve been reading through old posts in this thread and Iām wondering what it means to āwaive your right to view the recā and why it causes skepticism in the admissions process. Could anyone help shed some light?
this may be a really dumb question, but where do they write the rec? Iāve asked them, but seeing as the common app form doesnāt come out til august, do they write it and then paste that onto the form when itās time? and if weāre doing it electronically, do we email them the form or something?
sorry Iām pretty lost
Unless waived, you have the absolute right to go into the collegeās admissions office and demand to see the recommendations. Because you can see the recommendations, some recommenders may be reluctant to be honest. By signing the waiver, you give up that right, and your recommenders will be seen as more honest.
Waiving does not mean that you cannot read the letters; your recommenders can voluntarily show them to you. You simply cannot demand to see them.
They can write the rec on last yearās form, or they can simply write a letter and attach it to the form when it comes out.
How many recommendations do people normally get?
Thanks Chedva! Makes sense.
Shaggy007: I would say maybe 2-3, plus the guidance counselor rec? I know many people who got one from a science/math teacher, an english/history teacher, and a coach/director/ec head etc. But you donāt have to send every rec you get to each school. Keep in mind the limits imposed by each school, and if they advise against sending more than one, then donāt send more than one. For example, some schools require a rec from a science/math teacher and an english/history teacher, so it would obviously make sense to send both. At another school, maybe they only require one rec, so you can send one from a teacher in the area you wish to major in. And if they allow you an extra one and youād like to participate in music at that school and itās one of your main ecās, maybe you could send an additional rec from a director or whatever. So yeah, I would say 2-3, but it depends on the individual schools.