Hi everyone!
I just wanted to ask about teacher references for good colleges- does anyone know the real importance of them? Saying if you have a really good application and test scores, but the teacher reference is a bit bland, would the colleges still consider you? I know its so important but theres just always that difference in terms of schools- I know some schools have so many students and teachers just don’t really get to know them, while others have such small ratio and teachers are able to get to know each student so much better.
Also just wondering about choosing a reference if you don’t really have a teacher in mind- would you pick one that’s related to th stuff you’re interested about or a teacher who you’d think would write a better reference? Silly question I know but any suggestions would be so appreciated! Thanks !! 
I don’t think a so-so LOR would sink an applicant but a bad one might.
You can also look at the common data sets for the schools on your list and see how much they consider LORs.
IMO, the teachers who know you best should be the ones you are asking for LORs. If you don’t have any close ties, I would ask the teachers whose classes you really excel and stand out.
When you speak with your teachers, tell them the colleges you are applying to, and ask, “Do you feel you would be able to write a strong letter of recommendation for me? If not, can you suggest another teacher for me to ask?”
Based on conversations I have had with senior AO’s at Yale, LoR’s are pretty critical at least for the tippy tops where there are so many high stat candidates. The consistent comment they have made is that LoR’s represent a true third party assessment of the candidate. I think AO’s are pretty savvy to the fact that essays can be crafted, and not just by the applicant, and EC’s may be padded. The LoR can be a way to tie and in a sense verify the other subjectives and put context to the objectives. Others may say that LoR’s are unreliable because of different writing skills of the writers, but imo, the AO’s are not judging based on the prose of the letter but looking for factual connections to desirable characteristics, such as commitment, perseverance, achievement, leadership, teamwork/community, empathy, etc… So in that light, I think it is better to choose writers who know the applicant well and can tie personal observations to any qualitative comments they make. Many schools will suggest LoR’s come from teachers in core academic subjects, so that has to be considered and may make for a difficult choice if LoR’s are limited to 2 and say that a music or art teacher or team coach who is also a teacher knows the student the best (and music/art are not the primary academic focus of the student).
If you feel you know the best teacher(s) to ask, that is fine. Think of classes you were fully engaged in. If you aren’t sure who to ask you may want to discuss options with your guidance counselor – he/she may have a sense of who writes good LORs. It is often good to have a STEM and a humanities teacher to exhibit breadth if that is possible.
I recommend people ask a teacher if he/she can write a “positive letter of recommendation.” If the teacher’s answer is yes then thank him/her and ask if there is anything you can provide (resume, list of ECs etc.) to help him/her write the letter. If a teacher’s the answer is no, I would think about other teachers you have had and discuss options with your guidance counselor if you haven’t already done so. I would respectfully disagree with @happymomof1 in that I would not ask a teacher who declines to write you a LOR to suggest another teacher as that first teacher likely has no idea who else you have had, how well you have performed (not just academically, but in terms of participation etc. ) in other classes etc.
I do think strong teacher LORs can be very helpful in providing insight into a student and can be especially usefully in helping to distinguish oneself for the very top tier colleges where acceptance rates are so low. Choose your teachers wisely.
For counselors this may be true, but for classes you’re likely in a class of about 30 kids or so. It isn’t as if you’re in a lecture hall with 200-500 students and are just a face in the sea of students.
Most colleges admit most of their applicants so the letter doesn’t really matter (unless it is negative) but if you’re talking about very selective colleges the fact that you haven’t been able to make an impression on your teacher who you see for an hour every day for an entire academic year does not bode well.
One of the comments above noted that a “bad” LOR might sink an applicant’s chances, which is probably true. My question is, isn’t it borderline unethical for a HS teacher to write a bad LOR? It seems to me that if a teacher feels that they can’t write a positive LOR for a particular student, they have a responsibility to decline that student’s request for a LOR.
I respectfully disagree with the idea that it’s in any way unethical for a teacher to write a LOR that isn’t positive.
It would be unethical to be untruthful or to discuss issues which the student had no knowledge or control over, but a LOR should be truthful and sometimes the truth isn’t all positive. If the teacher has clearly communicated with the student about any negative issues so the student is aware the teacher knows of and is unhappy about something, then that it’s not unreasonable at all for that issue to appear on a LOR. A kind teacher might remind a student of something, along the lines of, “I will be happy to write about these great things X, Y and Z but can’t recommend you on issue R” so the student understands both positive and negative will be included, though.
That’s why it’s important to ask if they can write a positive LOR.
milee30 - Just to be clear, I am talking about a bad recommendation - as in, this LOR is going to do more harm than good. If I were a teacher, no way would I ever agree to write such a LOR. Even if I could honestly write an overall positive LOR but felt compelled to put something negative in letter, I would give the student fair warning and a chance to find another teacher to write his/her LOR.
CTScoutmom - I guess it’s a good idea to ask, but aren’t recommendations by definition supposed to be positive? It seems to me that a negative LOR is no recommendation at all.
LOR is very important if applying to highly selective colleges (it is another way of the colleges to get to know you besides your grades and test scores). I have not seen it as equally important as grades and test scores though. At best, it is equally as important as your essay. If you are applying to a moderately selective school, I don’t think it holds as much weight especially if your grades and test scores are within the top 75%ile of applicants. So yes, ask your teacher first if they can make a positive LOR for you (also, when you use the Common App, you will be asked whether you wish to waive your rights to read the LOR or not). If you don’t sign the waiver, you will be able to read it before it gets submitted to the school you’re applying to (but there’s a downside to this).