<p>I'm trying to figure out who to ask for my letters of recommendation. I know the admissions process is going to be unbelievably selective, so I'm guessing these will play a big role in discerning one potential student from another. My 10th grade honors English teacher was my favorite teacher and I absolutely adored her class, and she is also in charge of the school literary magazine that I'm an editor for. She knows me extremely well and I'm confident that she would write me a great recommendation. </p>
<p>The problem is that I'm trying to decide who my second letter of recommendation should be: </p>
<p>Option A) My 11th grade honors English teacher. I got 100%s on basically every single essay in that class and the teacher raved about how great I was, even though I didn't really know her that well... but she knows my dad, so maybe that's why, haha. The problem is that she's another English teacher, and though English and writing are definitely my strong suits and my main interest, I was wondering if having two teachers from the same subject would seem bad or lopsided? </p>
<p>Option B) My 11th grade honors pre-calc/12th grade AP Calc teacher. He doesn't know me that well since I'm usually quiet in that class, but in the past he has told me that I am one of his strongest students despite the fact that it's my weakest subject and getting As is a big deal for me. He does know that I work really hard and study a lot and I always ask him questions, so I figured that it might look appealing and make my weakness look like less of a weakness. </p>
<p>Sorry if this is kind of long, but HELP! I need opinions! Please and thank you. :)</p>
<p>It’s good to have one math/sciency recommendation and one from a humanities teacher. I’d ask the math teacher, you clearly have a good relationship with him and he seems to like you despite the fact that you aren’t naturally a math person. It’s better to have a rec that shows how hard you work than one that talks about how naturally everything comes.</p>
<p>do you have any other teachers that know you well? from what i’ve heard, that’s the most important thing-- that they can talk about how you learn, how you interact with other students and teachers in the classroom, and how you think. i’m sending two humanities recommendations (english and spanish) because that’s where my strengths lie and those are the teachers who know me best. have you taken any math/science APs? that might help demonstrate your skills in that area better than an impersonal recommendation from a teacher that doesn’t know you that well.
also, something interesting about the idea of working hard vs. having it all come naturally
[Study</a> Hacks Blog Archive How to Get Into Stanford with B’s on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/03/26/how-to-get-into-stanford-with-bs-on-your-transcript-failed-simulations-the-surprising-psychology-of-impressiveness/]Study”>How to Get Into Stanford with B's on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness - Cal Newport)
okay, that’s not the actual article i was looking for but it’s a similar idea</p>
<p>You shouldn’t get hung up about what the recommender teaches but how well the recommender knows you and what he/she will most likely say about you. Getting 2 recommendations from teachers who think highly of you trumps 1 good rec and a bland recommendation from an english teacher.</p>
<p>In general, I’d say one math and one English is probably better than two English–shows you can perform well across the board, which Williams seems to like</p>
<p>If you feel confident with the math rec, I would say go with that one. Your rec from your other English teacher showcases what a great student and leader you are, so the one from your math teacher could point out your determination and hard work, and offer a different perspective especially because it’s coming from a teacher in a subject that is very different than your other recommendation. In the end, though, I think you should definitely go with whatever you feel most confident in that showcases a wide range your talents in the best light.</p>
<p>I need some advice! My AP Calculus teacher retired this year and I might not be able to ask him for a recommendation (but I will try really hard to). If I don’t get a recommendation from him, I’ll have to find another teacher to write one for me. I don’t really know my teachers that well. The only other teacher I would be able to get a good recommendation from is my AP Biology teacher. However, I am already getting a recommendation from my AP Physics teacher. I am also getting a supplemental recommendation from my research mentor (biology) that I did over the summer. Would getting 3 recommendations all from science area REALLY hurt me? I’m applying to mostly ivy schools.</p>
<p>Some schools really care, others don’t. The problem is that most schools who care would categorize math with science and would instead be looking for more of a humanities rec as the second one. You need to research what the schools on you list want before worrying too much.</p>
<p>while this may not be entirely relevant to your situation, you might give thought to whether the math teacher is a good writer or not. my experience is that an eloquently-written ref carries more weight than an inarticulate one, even when the latter may be more subject-appropriate. thus i say, go with your first instinct and use the two english teachers.</p>