<p>All but 1 of the schools I am interested in uses the common app.... so instead of asking my teacher to hand write 8 common app recommendations can I just ask him to hand write one and then just photocopy that recommendation 7 times? Is that OK? Or is it just best for him to write it 8 times??????</p>
<p>any help is greatly appreciated
thanks</p>
<p>Teachers usually word process or hand write one copy and then make copies that they can send to all of the students' colleges, including those not using the comm app. The colleges don't care whether a copy is made or what the format is: What they care about is the content. Colleges also know teachers have as many as 100 or more reccs to write, so the colleges expect to receive copies.</p>
<p>Also, the teachers know what to do. Just make sure that you get the forms into the teachers in time for the teachers to do good jobs. It takes about an hour to write a good recc, and it also helps if students provide copies of excellent papers/tests in courses the teacher taught, and also remind the teacher of any outstanding things that the student did in activities that the teacher advises. This allows the teacher to refer to specifics, and those specifics are what makes a useful recommendation.</p>
<p>But if they make a photocopy, how about the college's names ? I guess if teachers decide to photocopy recs, they won't note down the specific names in the letters, right ? They will simple write: " Dear Adission Comitte...." or X truly belongs to your college ?
Will that hurt applicants' chance ? =)</p>
<p>I doubt it - admissions officers know you're applying to more than one school and don't expect HS teachers to write specific recs for each one. When teachers do write school-specific letters, its fairly common that they get sent to the wrong schools, and even then, I've heard admissions officers say they don't count that against you.</p>
<p>One thing to note with the photocopying - I would recommend (this is what my HS teachers did) that you get the teachers to write one recommendation (or fill out the checkboxes and attach a printed recommendation), make photocopies and then sign each one individually (instead of photocopying the signature as well)</p>