<p>My teachers both filled out a common app form and gave me a letter of recommendation. </p>
<p>I didn't tell them I was applying to more schools that all take the common app as I have made that decision just now, over christmas break. So, can I make copies of both the common app and letter of recommendations and then send them to all the schools that I want?</p>
<p>Help! I really have no idea what to do here...One teacher I know insists that he sends them out himself....</p>
<p>You can just ask the teachers to make the copies themselves when you get back, you can also do it too. All my teachers ran the copies off themselves</p>
<p>Alright so this is all fine?</p>
<p>The signatures will be copied as well... I don't have to worry about the schools calling/emailing my teachers right?</p>
<p>anyone else?</p>
<p>if you do make photocopies, make sure you get them certified, either by the school or by the teacher who wrote the rec. Also have the envelopes in which you are sending them certified as well.</p>
<p>by certified, do you mean have them sign the copies and the envelope?</p>
<p>bump bump bump</p>
<p>yes, have them sign the copies and the envelope</p>
<p>Making copies is fine. I turned in the common app and the recs once and now all my guidence counselor does is copy them whenever I want to send them to a new school.</p>
<p>Do the letters of rec have to be personalized? I'm worried because school is out until Jan 10th and I have schools that I have decided to apply to with deadlines of Jan. 1</p>
<p>Both letters say "To the Admissions Committee" Will the teachers find out if I just make copies and send them out? Also, my GC won't be making copies, I will be making the copies. Everything will be fine if I do this? I'm really worried...</p>
<p>When the schools give a January 1 deadline it means that the student needs to have their part of the application postmarked by that date. Colleges do extend professional courtesies to GCs and teachers as far as recommendations, transcripts etc.</p>
<p>Since most letters are now done uisng some type of word processing software and it really does not take any extra effort, IMHO if possible the letters should be personalized to each school (I know teachers did them for my D and I personalize letters for students who I write recommendations for).</p>
<p>While it is not unusual for teachers to print out multiple copies of a letter, based on my experience as a recommender, that I put an original signature on all of my letters, I use school letterhead,envelopes and the back of the envelopes are signed and stamped with the school stamp. </p>
<p>This way it reduces the chance that the school beleives that the letters are fake. In addition, it is not unusual for a college to verify the authenticity of a photocopied signature with the recommender to ensure that the letters are real. The last thing you want to have happen is for a recommender to tell a school that they were not asked to write a letter for or send a letter to a particular college..</p>
<p>Thank you sybbie,</p>
<p>I have multiple copies of the letter rec and form, can I send these to other schools or would this be a problem? My GC told me that this would okay to do and it would be very unlikely that the school would contact the teachers.</p>
<p>Not OK to just make copies and send without the original signatures. Re-read what sybbie wrote above.</p>
<p>Hi Harding,</p>
<p>Keep in mind that for some schools the devil is in the details. To me, just making a copy of a letter that is already signed shows a lack of caring (just a cookie cutter letter that really required no thought). I would never send this type of letter out for a student, and as a parent, I would be very peeved if a teacher treated my child in this manner. Believe me when I tell you, it comes across to the person getting the letter as a lack of caring also.</p>
<p>I will admit, that most GCs/teachers do not recreate the wheel when writing letters as some have basic letters, but then each letter is tailored to the student. I also try to talk to each student to find out a little something about them (this is why many recommenders ask for brag sheets or have forms for their students to fill out) why they feel college "A" will be a good match for them and include it in the letter with other little antecdotes about the student.</p>
<p>Look at it this way; your application and recommendations will speak for you because you are not there to speak for your self and you want your best self to be presented.</p>
<p>Most GC and teacher recs are not due until february, so take a moment, do it right and ask the teacher to print you out a fresh letter with a signature.</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>Do not copy yourself -- the Jan 1 deadline is for you, not the teachers. Have the school send the letter in a school envelope. However, due to extreme GC/student ratios, not all GCs at all schools are gonna sign each letter individually -- ours do not. We have a GC-student ratio of 750/1 in a competitive public, so it is not realistic to expect the GC to sign each and every rec. Of course, adcoms know our school GC ratio, so a copied signature doesn't seem to be a big deal, given our circumstances.</p>
<p>Yeah my counselors and both of my teachers just filled out one and sent copies to all the schools.
They didn't put them in "certified" envelopes either, just normal ones.</p>
<p>Is it a big deal if your guidance counselor forgets to sign the envelope seal? The problem is that she gave me her letter, and I stupidly forgot to ask if she could sign the seal, and it's too late since my application is due 1/1. Plus, I was planning on sending all of my application materials in one big manila envelope with my application and essays.</p>