<p>I've been to three high schools. (My family relocated.) Now it's my senior year, and I just started at a new school. I'm freaking out about recommendations. I'm kind of thinking that since I only went to my old school for a year, and I haven't seen my teachers from the first school in over a year, I should just get recs from the teachers that I have now. I think I've made a good impression, and I should have enough time to make that into a great impression, but do you think it's enough? It's an extremely small school, and I feel so intimidated because the other students know the teachers personally.</p>
<p>I know there's no way to make this situation optimal. I'm just looking for some advice. Am I screwed?</p>
<p>Was there no one you connected with at your last school who might be able to write you a strong recommendation?</p>
<p>On the other hand, since your current school is small, it’s entirely possible that your new teachers would get to know you well enough to write recommendations in a couple of months. I guess the answer to your question depends, at least in part, on how soon your app’s have to be in.</p>
<p>“Was there no one you connected with at your last school who might be able to write you a strong recommendation?”</p>
<p>Yeah, there might be. Will it hurt me if it was my improvisational theater teacher though? Will that not be seen as serious? And how should I go about asking him, if I can’t talk to him in person?</p>
<p>“On the other hand, since your current school is small, it’s entirely possible that your new teachers would get to know you well enough to write recommendations in a couple of months.”</p>
<p>Do you really think so?? I’m applying ED to one school, and the deadline isn’t until November 15th, so maybe I could put it off until the end of October. Would that be too short-notice for the teachers?</p>
<p>No, that would be too late. You’d really need to give them more time than that.</p>
<p>I’d strongly suggest sitting down with the guidance counselor at your current school and seeing if the two of you can’t come up with a solution. This may be a case where it would be appropriate to send an addition recommendation, above and beyond your one or two required “core subject” rec’s, so that you could include a rec. from last year’s theatre teacher. Go talk with the GC, explain your situation, and ask what he or she recommends.</p>
<p>As for contacting last year’s teacher, it would be perfectly appropriate to contact him by email to make the request, if you decide to go that route.</p>
<p>Gosh, I just don’t know in this situation. It seems like you’d kind of be putting the teacher on the spot if you told him/her that you’re going to be needing a recommendation before they even have a chance to get to know you. That’s why I’d suggest speaking with the GC. He or she might know of the best way to handle this.</p>
<p>You’ve gotten good advice so far, aribman. As dodgersmom as told you, sit down with your counselor to see what he or she recommends. In particular, ask which of your current teachers might be most open to a “last minute” reference request, after they’ve had a chance to get to know you better. Maybe the guidance counselor can provide some specific suggestions (e.g., “Mr. Snurd wouldn’t react well to that, but Ms. Pringle will go to bat for you.”)</p>
<p>Solicit a couple of “extra” recommendations. You could ask that theater teacher you mentioned for one. If you can’t come up with another teacher from a previous school to write on your behalf, is there someone else … e.g., employer, youth group leader, Scout leader, etc. who knows you well? Since these are extras, you can have them sent directly to you rather than to colleges because they need not be confidential. Read them and choose the best one. (If both are slam dunks, you can send both, but we wary of the varying “extra recommendation” rules at your target colleges.)</p>
<p>Use the “Additional Information” section of your application (or a separate letter or email) to tell admission officials exactly what you’ve told us. Well, you don’t have to say that you think you’re screwed. Simply explain that you’ve been in three high schools due to family relocation and that it’s challenging to select teacher advocates. Point out that you’re in a small school now where you think your teachers have gotten to know you quickly, but–even so–you’ve observed that you don’t have the same relationship with them that they have with students who aren’t new to the school. Also explain that you are sending extra recommendations to try to compensate for the fact that your current teachers don’t have a long-term relationship with you.</p>
<p>I realize that this situation seems stressful (as is the whole college process!) but rest assured that most admission officials are going to be understanding. Although a super teacher reference can certainly push a borderline application toward the “In” pile, many teacher recs are fairly generic. So if yours are, too, this won’t be the deal-breaker that you fear it will be.</p>
<p>Sally_Rubenstone:
Thank you so much. I might be able to get a really fantastic recommendation from my fresh/soph Latin teacher as well, so I’m going to see about that as well as the theater teacher and talk to my guidance counselor on Monday.
I also wasn’t sure about putting anything in the ‘additional information’ section, as I didn’t know if it would make it seem as though I’m the sort of person to make petty excuses. I think I will now, though. Thanks again!</p>
<p>dodgersmom:
You’ve been great help to me. Thank you. (I’ll talk to my guidance counselor about appropriate notice.)</p>
<p>You’re welcome, aribman … and don’t worry. Pointing out via Additional Information that you’ve been relocated to three schools in four years isn’t petty, and this gives you a place to explain why you’ve included recs from teachers who aren’t recent or current. If you’re fearful of sounding whiny, you can always put an upbeat spin on it … something like:</p>
<p>*I’ve learned a lot from moving (and changing high schools) nearly every year … such as how to make friends quickly and to part with my dog-eared Pokemon cards without tears. But choosing teachers to write my recommendations has been challenging because, as application deadlines loom, I’m still very much the “new kid” … *</p>
Simply explain that you’ve been in three high schools due to family relocation and that it’s challenging to select teacher advocates. Point out that you’re in a small school now where you think your teachers have gotten to know you quickly, but–even so–you’ve observed that you don’t have the same relationship with them that they have with students who aren’t new to the school. Also explain that you are sending extra recommendations to try to compensate for the fact that your current teachers don’t have a long-term relationship with you.</p>