<p>OK, Hi everybody!</p>
<p>My English teacher, who I asked to write me a recommendation almost four months ago, happily agreed to it. But just as we're getting to the deadline of most colleges she tells me that she isn't going to be writing me a recommendation anymore. Help I don't know what to do! </p>
<p>And right now we're on break until January 5th.</p>
<p>Ask all the teachers you have had if it would be possible for them to write you one on such short notice. If at all possible, remind the aforementioned teacher that she previously agreed to write you one (unless you did something to make her reconsider.) She should not have backed out so late, that’s not fair to you.</p>
<p>Do you have any idea why?</p>
<p>I would contact any other teachers who you think might be willing to write you a letter of recommendation, explain that you asked another teacher (you may want to name or not) for a recommendation, but suddenly and for (presumably) no real reason they backed out. You are terribly sorry for inconveniencing them over the holidays, but would there be any chance that they could write a recommendation for you?</p>
<p>dunno man just sucks to be in that situation</p>
<p>No she hasn’t even given me a reason why. All she said was that she isn’t going to write it anymore.</p>
<p>Unless you did something wrong, that was a very unprofessional thing for your teacher to do. You need to ask another teacher to write you one and you can perhaps explain to them your current situation regarding the other teacher.</p>
<p>yikes. At first I was going to say be glad they did you the courtesy and didn’t write a bad one but promising 4 months ago to write one and then pulling out this late is AWFUL and completely unfair.</p>
<p>As others have said, assuming you’re not leaving out the fact that you did something at school to make this teacher change his/her mind, I would definitely make sure when asking other teachers to apologize for the short notice but that this teacher had promised and now said they can’t do it</p>
<p>Make sure to ask AS MANY other teachers as you think might be willing. It’s holiday break for most schools and a large percentage of teachers may not answer/ may be unwilling. </p>
<p>And you need one recommendation to put there.</p>
<p>Also, in the meantime, write some vitriolic reviews on ratemyteacher for that english teacher lol. Also send a letter to a GC or principal after college apps are done if you think it might get her in trouble (assuming that she just opted out cuz she’s lazy)</p>
<p>It is unprofessional for this teacher to refuse the recommendation at this late date, regardless of the reason. Even if she has come to dislike you, and even if she has good reasons, she should have notified you weeks ago. </p>
<p>However, I would be extremely leery of pressing a teacher into writing a recommendation that she has decided - for whatever reason - not to write. After all, you will not be able to see what she writes due to FERPA. Let her go.</p>
<p>At this point, you have no choice but to find another teacher. You may have to reach back to freshman or sophomore year. I would not put this off; start contacting teachers at your earliest opportunity. Do not place blame on the withdrawing teacher; simply state that she cannot write it and since you really enjoyed so-and-so and his/her class, you would be so grateful if he/she could step in and help you out.</p>
<p>Teachers are real people with lives who may have things going on that they choose not to share with you - it’s possible that they have had something come up and are unable to honor your previous request. Bad luck for you, but also maybe bad luck for them. Like maybe they aren’t able to write your letter because they’ll be busy taking their parent or child in for chemo treatments or something equally horrible.</p>
<p>Let’s not be too harsh and self-centered here, just move on and find a substitute. Besides which, you should have been more on top of things and checking to see if it was in process or if you could provide some background information that would help them write the letter. There’s plenty of potential blame to go around here if you want to go in that direction, but it won’t get you a letter any faster.</p>
<p>Don’t blame the teacher? I can understand that terrible circumstances might have arisen, like a close family member dying or something, but he asked for the letter FOUR months ago. </p>
<p>Regardless of what happened, you cannot deny that refusing to write a recommendation in the last four days before the deadline for most schools is a horribly unprofessional thing to do that also disadvantages this over big time. </p>
<p>Asking for the letter four months ago and not following up is who’s fault? And how exactly did they ask? Not saying the teacher is blameless here, and maybe they’re totally to blame, but if you hand around CC long enough, you often find out the whole story is different than the first telling.</p>
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<p>Of course, that should help a lot! Seriously? </p>
<p>If there is a lesson here, it must be a reminder that the college application is the STUDENT’s primary responsibility, and that includes following up and HELPING the reachers deliver the letters. Asking to “write a letter” and then waiting for it to arrive on time is not sufficient. </p>
<p>This is what you do: </p>
<p>January 5th is only next week. That gives you time to PREPARE your needed LORs. Such letters CAN be mailed late and later. It is NOT a big deal but you need to address it this week. </p>
<p>You need to prepare folders that include all your activities, a copy of your transcripts, and a detailed reason why you would ask Mr. XC or Mrs. YZ to write about you. Go as far as writing sentences that describe your activities and submit in paper AND in electronic form. This way the teacher can copy and paste parts of your work and make it look better in his or her own words. </p>
<p>Be sure to include DETAILED lists of recipients. Be clear about how the LORs need to be submitted. At this stage, your bet is to obtain the letters and get them mailed ASAP. You might be lucky to get a teacher working for you during the holidays, but that would be unusual. Prepare self-stamped envelopes or list the EXACT email to use for the submittal. Be courteous and do NOT bring up the fact that a different teacher refused to write the letter, or do it in without mentioning the name. Simply assume the responsibility and share that you are in a conundrum. </p>
<p>Again, and again, your chances of success increase by preparing the terrain and providing ALL the necessary information. The good news is that schools are aware that the LOR might arrive later – if at all. </p>
<p>Do you expect the teacher to spend her holiday time to write the rec. and go to the school website to upload it?
All rec. letters should have been written before December 15 and students should have talked to teachers at least 2 weeks ahead so that they can make their time to write.</p>
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<p>This could be interpreted as “I thought you did not need my rec. anymore. I am done with rec. writing a long time ago.”</p>
<p>When you asked 4 months ago did you follow up with a resume, a page of talking points and the dates that your first applications were due? Did you invite the teacher through Naviance or Common App? My son sounded out teachers at the end of Junior year about letters and thought he had 3 in the bag. He didn’t follow up with confirmation and background packets as soon as his mother would have liked this past fall and consequently his English teacher had already lined up his quota and said that he wouldn’t do it. In my book that was on my kid not the teacher. He had to scramble for a second academic letter and was fortunate to have his APES teacher (who usually books up the previous spring) agree to do it with just 2 weeks notice.</p>
<p>OK, so, I did follow up with a resume and whatever she requested–I handed them all in. I also have done nothing wrong. It is really just an unexpected situation. </p>
<p>I asked for my recommendation letter four months in advance. I’ve been slowly waiting thinking that she has been writing it. </p>
<p>I’m sorry this is happening to you Therevolutionary. And FWIW, I do blame this teacher. These senior students are “beginners” at the college process, teachers do it every year. The students are just barely young adults (and that’s stretching it), the teachers one would hope would be professional adults. D also requested a recommendation in August before school started (via email) from a teacher that she is very close to, as well as two others. It was her intention to give them a heads up because she was applying to EA and ED schools and nearly everyone at her school goes away to college. Said teacher procrastinated until after application deadline but did eventually do it after D following up several times. Posters on here would have you believe that the deadlines don’t hold true for guidance counselors and teachers, and that is sometimes the case, as I had to call each of the schools admission offices to find out how much of a problem this would be. But really, should these students who are under so much pressure and stress in this process have to bend over backwards to get the adults/professionals in their lives to do their part. VERY POOR ROLE MODELING.</p>
<p>I really feel for you then. Sounds like you did all the right things. I know I’ve been in that position of trying to give room, not be a nag, and wait patiently. In retrospect, you should have checked about 2-4 weeks ago to make sure so that you wouldn’t be in this predicament but, you’re a kid. I hope you can find a replacement asap. </p>
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<p>This is not about having done some wrong or assigning blame. People --and this case young persons in HS-- who do not clearly understand what needs to be done and who bears the final responsibility might feel better by leveling some blame at the teacher. Right or wrong, that serves no purpose whatsoever. In due time, people learn that asking for a FAVOR is only the first step. Diligently and politely checking on the status of the request is the responsibility of the person who asks. </p>
<p>Obviously, had you checked earlier, you would not be in that position. And now you need to find a solution. And THAT is all that matter. Again, get busy and do more than you did the first time. </p>
<p>Of course blame should be leveled at the teacher. Colleges are the most important event in YOUR ENTIRE LIFE at the time when you are applying for them. </p>
<p>Having taken all the proper steps to request a letter of recommendation, one would expect at least some modicum of respect from the teacher. Deciding that she doesn’t want to write a letter and not saying anything until the LAST FOUR DAYS before most capp schools is ridiculous. </p>
<p>Sure, it might not help to get mad at that teacher, but it doesn’t hurt you either. And honestly, I find the actions of that teacher to be unexcusable. </p>
<p>My guidance counselor evidently forgot to send critical documents to one of the schools I applied for, despite the fact that I checked with her EVERY DAY for a month before the deadline and she insisted that all the appropriate documents were sent. As a professional who quite literally holds the future of your students in your hands, it is your obligation to not **** them over. </p>