<p>I am about to end my junior year in high school.</p>
<p>What do I need to give my teachers, if anything, before the school year ends concerning teacher recommendations?</p>
<p>Should I ask for one from every teacher, just in case?</p>
<p>What about 10th grade teachers?</p>
<p>How do I know the format of the recommendation and where to address the envelope that I am supposed to give them?</p>
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<p>I’d give them a basic resume–GPA, ECs, awards–but also make sure to sit down with them and have a discussion about where you’re applying, where you see yourself succeeding, what you want in a school, etc. It will help them get a better idea of your individual nature outside of school as well as how they can structure the letter to convey what you need it to convey.</p>
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<p>Absolutely not. You need two.</p>
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<p>No problem. But it’s best if you’ve been in continued contact with them this year as well. If they don’t remember you distinctly, your recommendation will likely be generic.</p>
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<p>Check the school policies, though I believe CommonApp has a teacher recommendation part.</p>
<p>For one, pick teachers who know YOU the best and you have a good relationship with.</p>
<p>Some schools provide teacher recommendation forms, so approach your teacher at the end of class or on your free time and tell them that you would like them to write you a recommendation and hand them the form.</p>
<p>They are suppose to know how to format a recommendation, so you shouldn’t worry about that and as far as mailing the recommendations, your counselor is suppose to mail it. You are not suppose to see the recommendation.</p>
<p>Speak with your guidance counselor first. Each school has their own way of dealing with the application process. Some ask the teachers to personally bring the completed recommendations to their office. They are then filed in your personal file and the guidance office puts it and all of the other necessary information into a nice packet that gets sent off to colleges. Other schools may have a different approach.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to meet with your guidance counselor and talk about the college application process. He/she will guide you through the process. </p>
<p>glassesarechic is correct. You only need 2 solid teacher recommendations for most college applications.</p>
<p>Is it true that your English teacher is either required or highly recommended to give you a recommendation?</p>
<p>Should I talk to my counselor/ask for recommendations before summer starts and school ends?</p>
<p>Yes and science.</p>
<p>Talk to your counselor before summer starts so you have time to do your own research. As far as recommendations also ask before summer starts so you give your teachers a chance to take their time to write it out thoroughly.</p>
<p>You want teachers to be willing and able to write you a strong letter of rec. So it is very important to ask a prospective evaluator whether they can write a positive letter for you. This is always appropriate, phrased politely of course. EVERY student should do this when asking for letters of rec. For example, “Am I a student you would write a strong letter of reccomendation for, or do you suggest I ask someone else?” Don’t argue or question why if the answer is ask someone else, simply to thank the teacher for their honest answer.</p>
<p>While it can be uncomfortable for a student to ask a direct question like this to a teacher, it HAS to be done. I know someone who was on the alumni scholarship committee for a well-known U and they regularly received letters of “rec” for the full-tuition scholarship that really dissed the kid. In the book “The Gatekeepers” in which a reporter for the NY Times followed the admissions committee at Wesleyan (a top LAC) for a year is a real-world example of a bad rec.
If Tiffany had asked the teacher if he’d write a strong letter of support for her, this could have been avoided. The end result was she did not get in.</p>
<p>Right, if I can’t write a strong letter for the student, if they ask me personally, I say “Perhaps there is someone who knows your positive attributes better” </p>
<p>If I just get a form with a letter on it, I can’t really let the student know I’m not the best rec. Sometimes I will call and say "Do you really want me to write this letter?"Then if the student doesn’t get it, I figure they deserve what they get(these are med students)</p>