I started at my current school middle of junior year (current senior) so I haven’t had any current teachers for that long. I’ve been working closely with my counselor while here and know her letter will be great, I got my English teacher to write me a letter of recc that I think will be positive and I’ve asked my art teacher for a letter I’m expecting to be good but my art teachers letter won’t count as the second mandatory teacher letter for my applications.
I’ve had two different science teachers here both of which who have only known me for a short time, my teacher this year who has only known me for about two months said she would write me a letter but it can’t be detailed since our relationship has been short, I do think I put a lot of effort in her class though. I’ve had the same math teacher for the second half of last year and this year, only problem is I do horribly in her class. Math is my worst subject. She also said she could write a letter if no one else would but also feels like she doesn’t know me well. Not sure who I should take the letter from with my first deadline coming up Nov. 1.
Why won’t the art teacher’s letter count? Do the schools to which you are applying require letters from teachers in core subjects?
Given the curcumstances, I think it is okay to have that science teacher write a LOR. Obviously the colleges will see it from your transcripts that you changed schools, plus the teacher will probably mention it in her letter too. It is up to the college whether to weigh the LORs less (or not) because of the fact that you don’t have a long history at that high school.
If the math teacher who has had you the longest in your new school says she doesn’t know you well, you should expect any letter from her to be lukewarm at best. I’d go with the more enthusiastic writer.
BTW, there are a lot of state colleges, including flagships, that don’t require LORs. Consider adding one or two of them to your list.
A lot of the schools I’m applying to require LORs from core academic teachers. I’m thinking schools just won’t take them into high consideration considering the teachers haven’t known me extensively.
My daughter also started at a new school when she was junior. She was advised to cultivate relationships with her teachers asap, but was also advised if it didn’t happen then she could also ask her teacher(s) from her old school to write a LOR.
I wouldn’t submit a subpar LOR. We weren’t sure whom to ask to write her LORs, so she asked 3 teachers for LORs and asked her GC to read them in order to decide which 2 to submit.