just wanted to get some thoughts on this before I bother the guidance counselor…
my h.s. junior is a fly under the radar type of kid and a bright but pretty average student-no aspirations for exclusive colleges or anything like that, no EC’s to speak of…just average.
she is, however, in a very small, pretty difficult language class where she has had the same teacher for all three years where she shines.
unfortunately we found out that the teacher is retiring this February and its murky as to whether there will be a replacement or if the class will even be available next year–the fourth year is considered an AP due to difficulty and typically has maybe 10 kids, so I imagine its not a huge priority to hire someone.
this teacher would have been the obvious choice for a LOR since he truly knows her and I would think he would write a glowing rec. it would by far beat the generic blah blah of someone who barely knows her name.
the question is, do you think its premature (or obnoxious?!) to request he write one for her before he goes? I presume it would “go in her file” and just be ready to go for next year.
if its appropriate we’d like to get on it since i’m sure he’s busy wrapping things up.
Many letters are now submitted online. Your daughter could talk with this teacher about whether the teacher would want to write it now, while the teacher is still working with her, or would rather wait. I know one of my kids, who applied a year later than others (a year after graduating), asked a teacher to write a letter for her. But I think it is a good idea for the teacher to write the letter sooner and just keep it on the computer for now.
thanks–I think i’ll have her verbally ask him and see what he says, and then have her do the formal request process.(if he’s willing). the clock is ticking–feb is right around the corner!
i’m guessing he isn’t inundated with requests and hope he doesn’t mind.
I would try to get that letter sooner rather than later. Once he’s gone, it will be more difficult to get in touch with him, he might forget, etc., and it could get awkward.
Absolutely appropriate. In our school, in situations where a teacher is leaving and they are writing letters, they give the electronic version to the Guidance Counselor who submits it electronically to whatever colleges need it the following year. Best of luck to you.
Wow, your experience is the nearly same as mine.
I had a great Spanish teacher for two years (Freshman and Junior year) who I wanted to write my Letter of Recommendation. However, he was leaving the school at the end of last year to go to a new job in California.
Solution? I asked him in mid-May to write my Letter of Recommendation. It went splendidly! I used it for a good portion of colleges I’m applying to. Just make sure to have an email in case of any last minute sign-offs he needs to do. Good luck!
DS had a teacher moving to another school. He was very pleased to be asked, and apparently wrote a very nice LoR. I say apparently because we never saw it, but DS was accepted to his first choice.
