My guidance counselor advised me not to upload one of my humanities recommendations, and she said that he basically never elaborated on my role as a student in his class. She advised me to find another teacher, so I asked my history teacher instead. My humanities teacher basically “X wants to cure cancer, this may seem like a naive goal… blah blah blah and went on about my science awards.”
but he also said that I had slipped in his class once… BAD (Harvard likes consistency) and he had to have a talk with me! But then he wrote that over the summer I refreshed my interest in the humanities. This teacher basically has no filter. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO OMG, the report appeared on my common app as downloaded this 12/1.
@Gibby, he basically spent half of the rec talking about my SCIENCE achievements (he was writing as a humanities teacher and said my pursuit for cancer research seemed “naive”) and also he spent the second paragraph talking about how I was naturally brilliant at humanities, but I slipped in class due to multiple absences because of science things (even though i had an A at the end of class, wtf)… then he started talking about how I began to renew my interest in humanities over the summer.
It was so out of the line, what do you think?
After your transcript, GPA, course rigor, and test scores teacher recommendations are the next most important part of your file – at least for private colleges. Recommendations tend not to matter that much for public universities.
@gibby so due to the nature of my letter, and the fact that the majority of other students will have amazing letters and credentials, I can probably anticipate deferral/rejection?
It’s very rare that Admissions can point to one thing that kept a student off a list. Most of the time it’s nothing you or your teachers did, it’s just that there are other stronger applicants who shine a bit more. And you can’t control that.
Hmm, when my teachers do my rec letters I ensure that I like it first then I tell them to upload it. Did you not tell him what you wanted to be mentioned and not mentioned. My teachers first let me read the rec letters then I could tell them if I wanted it. Im pretty sure its not that bad of a rec letter. Just make sure your other letters are much better.
It’s not necessarily against the rules (unless you waived your FERPA rights), but teachers like to know that you trust them enough to write without interference. I got to a large and competitive public school, which might have something to do with it. If you go to a really small school or a less competitive school they might be more lenient
Some of the teachers in our school don’t let the students see their recommendations, some do. I read my history teacher’s recommendation and my GC’s recommendation, which was good. I also got a recommendation from my bio teacher and research mentor, which I did not read. I’m just afraid this recommendation will be a “bad egg” and ruin the rest of my application.
Did you actually submit the application already? If not, I think you might still be able to remove him as a rec. if you can’t, try not to fret about it. If it is meant to be, you will still get in. maybe another school is really a perfect fir for you and you will be happier there.
With that acceptance rate, it’s silly to expect anything else.
ah, well I guess Harvard just wasn’t meant to be.