So I have a dilemma. My application is starting to come together, and I’m really proud of it. One of the last things I need is my letters of recommendation from my teachers. I have tons of teachers who I would love to have write me a letter from humanities courses. However, I have never really been super close to a teacher I have had in a math or science class. I do have a math teacher who knows me well enough to write a sincere letter, but she never had me as a student.
Should I:
- Ask a teacher who doesn’t know me well but could draft a really well-crafted essay (AP Bio, AP ES)
- Ask a teacher who knows me a bit better but I’m not sure how their essay would be (AP Comp Sci, AP BC Calc)
- Ask a teacher who knows me very well but I’ve never been their student (A math teacher at my school who is also a good friend’s mom)
I’d appreciate the advice. I emailed my EC about a week ago on the personal email given by MIT, and I’ve had no response yet. Today I emailed their MIT Alum Email, but I’m worried that I did it too soon. Admission season is stressful.
If your mother’s friend understands your work ethic and ability to function and excel as a student in the fields of STEM, then go for it. Admissions want to know about your passions and motivation with STEM (even more so than Humanities), and so it is preferable for your teacher to encapture your passion and motivation rather than craft a poetic verse. :ρ
In summary, do whoever you think will be able to perfectly match your passion and motivation for STEM.
Before you ask your friend’s mom, I would go through the MIT info and determine if the letter needs to be from a teacher. At our HS, teachers are not allowed to write for anyone that hasn’t been their student (unless they are the 3rd letter), even if they have been their adviser for clubs and know them well. The questions asked of teachers are often specific to your academics in their class. It certainly doesn’t hurt to double check.
As I read the info from MIT on letters of recommendation, it reads like it must be a teacher whom you had a class from. When in doubt, call MIT and they will gladly answer your question.