<p>So I think I will be getting pretty good recs from my teacher and counselor but I'm applying to Ivies and heavy hittin LACs so I was wondering if I should get my principal to write a rec on my behalf. She and I have a very good relationship as I have done a lot of activities and received awards that have had a positive reflection on the school and subsequently on her. She thinks I am a good leader so would it be advantageous to aks her for a supplemental rec because I can't imagine that many principals would be willing to write on their student's behalf.</p>
<p>i wouldnt think so because schools dont look at how good of a person is writing ur rec, they want to see how you work and use time.</p>
<p>im a little surprise because a principal is supposed to have more academic status/greater authoirty than teachers + counselors so I figured that if the principal says this kid is a leader who looks to improve his/her community, then that statement carries more weight</p>
<p>Oh, so did your principal teach your courses? That would be pretty cool.</p>
<p>it does carry more weight.
(a harvard admissions officer told me)</p>
<p>It’s better to get recs from teachers. Unless the Principal taught a class that you participated in or coached a team that you participated in, I wouldn’t recommend using the rec. Do you participate in clubs led by a teacher or athletics coached by one of your teachers? Do you have a part time and/or summer job where the boss has witnessed your work ethic and ability to deal with unexpected things thrown your way? Have you done a specific community service project over the course of your high school years where the director of the organization can write a recommendation (i.e.–food pantry, nursing home, women’s shelter, cancer society, etc.)?</p>
<p>no the pricnipal doesnt teach a class or anything. we just have a very good relationship and in the past has written letters of rec for a select few and they all ended up in amazing schools like upenn and princeton.</p>
<p>Well get teacher reds also</p>
<p>Those select few students would have gotten into those amazing schools even without the rec from the Principal. Your academic record, gpa, class rank, your EC’s along with leadership positions, rigor of your courses (AP’s), your community service record, employment (doesn’t matter if it was at MacDonalds or an office–it shows initiative, responsibility, independence, reliability, character), and anything else that you’ve shown a passion for and participated in are keys. The teacher recommendations give the college admission’s people a different perspective—for example–leadership in the classroom, participation level, ask questions when you don’t understand something, go above and beyond what is asked of the teacher, kindness and patience towards other students, character, etc. It’s even better if you’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of the same teachers for a number of years and he/she has seen tremendous growth in you. These are some of the things that colleges are looking for in the recommendation.</p>