I’m applying to ASU Barrett’s (in state), CU Boulder, and UT Austin for mechanical engineering. CU requires and UT asks for 2 LORs. I’ve already asked my AP Calc BC teacher to write one LOR – I think we got along quite well and I got a high A as well as a 5 on the AP.
But for my 2nd LOR I was thinking of asking one of my volunteer supervisors. In the last 2 years I’ve racked up about 400 hours of volunteer work mostly between a local animal shelter and an Autism Research/Resource Center (mentoring teens with Autism and teaching them “life skills” – we mostly go to local charities and help out, sometimes it’s packing boxes, or gardening, or making soup for the Hospice). I have probably around 300 hours with the shelter and 90 with the Autism Center but I’m thinking that the Autism Center will write a better looking LOR because the shelter is small and my old “supervisor” moved out of state and I’ve only known the new one for a couple of months. At the Autism Center they are used to writing LORs for volunteers and I still know them fairly well.
Long story short: Is it ok to ask a volunteer supervisor for a LOR, does it look any worse than a teacher? Do you have any input on which supervisor to ask?
It depends, some colleges requires LOR’s only from your teachers but some asks LOR’s from your teachers as well as from any one you want. So you have to check online that the colleges in which you want to apply ask LOR’s other than your teacher.
I hope it was helpful
You’re allowed 2 LoRs from UT Austin. Your competitors are submitting 2 teacher recs. You should too. UT is more interested in your academic potential than the fact that you were a good volunteer worker.
The skewed view that many US students have about how colleges see voluntarism and community services is head-shaking. I’m happy you enjoy your voluntarism but it should only be listed on your EC list. Get a second strong teacher rec.
Kinda of a thread jack but OP why are you applying to Barrett’s over UoA honors college? I’m debating which one to apply to and would love to here some feedback
Look carefully at the application and see if it requires 2 academic recommendations. Be careful that you meet the exact requirements. If you have 2 teacher recommendations it is OK to have a third one from a person out of school such as your volunteer supervisor. Use your judgement as to which volunteer job you use – nobody knows the people/situations close to as well as you do.
This is so late but update is that I’m getting a second LOR from a chem teacher that I get along with… don’t know why I didn’t think of her in the first place.
GriffBaum – Are you applying in or out of state? Near Phoenix/Tucson or neither
Part of it is the personal choice of ASU’s location, I live fairly close and I know the campus pretty well already. I actually like that ASU is kind of this big monster of a school and its even though the ASU area is really heavy on ASU there are a lot of other nearby cities that aren’t ASU-oriented, like I said I know the area really well. Tucson is… well I don’t know exactly what I don’t like about it but its not a place I can imagine living.
I’m sure you already know all the stats but ASU is also ranked slightly higher.
(PS – I have MANY friends who go to both schools and love them equally, and they all have different majors)