<p>Do you have to send in those cover letters to each of the schools that has them on their website? I feel like its annoying to ask my teachers to fill out another cover letter for EVERY school I'm applying too... I actually just discovered that NYU had this cover letter, and I didnt send it in (already applied). Does this mean that my application is incomplete?</p>
<p>kindaaaaa freakin' out!!
Please tell me these are optional.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!</p>
<p>If the "cover letter" or form simply contains identifying information for the student or the teacher (i.e. does not contain the substantive evaluation), then the student should fill out the doc and provide it to the teacher, with an addressed stamped envelop, for inclusion with a written rec letter. Also, if you use the Common App, my recollection is that the form can be filled out on line for each teacher, printed and the copied for each school you want the teacher to send a rec to. Also, even if the "cover letter" or form requests substantive information, unless things have changed since 2006, you can just fill out the identifying portions and give it to the teacher for the reacher to do his or her own rec letter. The form then gets included just to "tag" the letter to your file.</p>
<p>I am not personally familiar with NYU's process but I would think that as long as what NYU receives can be properly linked to your application file and contains the type of info they desire, you should be ok. When my daughter was applying to college, my recollection is that we used these forms only for identification purposes.</p>
<p>My D had all her letters of rec sent from her guidance office without any of the printed documents from each of the schools. Apparently that's how her school does it and all 12 of her files from the colleges she applied for are complete so I guess it must have been acceptable. The only form she used directly from the college was the additional arts-related rec for U of Mich sent directly to their School of Music, Theatre and Dance which she filled out and gave to the recommender with a stamped, addressed envelope.
If your school sends the letters out for you, like my D's does, just double check that they go out and are received.</p>
<p>I am not sure what "cover letter" the OP refers to. My D, who is at NYU/Tisch now, simply printed out the teacher recommendation form provided on the Common App Web site and filled out her portion and gave copies to each of the teachers recommending her for CA schools.</p>
<p>NMR...I think the OP is referring to the teacher rec forms that accompany the narrative recommendation. Sometimes these rec forms have more than basic information about the student and the teacher rates the student in different criteria. There are also forms for the guidance counselor's report. The GC should be filling out the form as well as writing a narrative. </p>
<p>My students, as well as my own children, gather the forms from all of their schools and make a packet for each academic teacher rec writer and the guidance counselor. The artistic recs, which are often optional or supplemental, usually have no form and can be written on that person's own letterhead. Most of my students also provide stamped addressed envelopes to their rec writers to send in directly to colleges. However, depending on one's high school procedure, some do as my kids did at our high school, which is to have all the forms/letters sent to the guidance counselor who then packaged them all up with the school's report and transcript into one envelope and sent it all together. </p>
<p>Perhaps a college is willing to accept recs without the forms but frankly, I prefer to follow the dirctions which usually include a rec form for the academic teacher recs, as well as the school counselor's report. The school counselor's report should be more than simply the narrative. It asks things like the student's rank or distribution and asks the GC to rate the student on different criteria usually. As well, the forms have identifying information per student to match the narratives up with the student. </p>
<p>At a minimum I would do what I just described. To be honest with you, all my clients provide a COVER LETTER to every academic rec writer, artistic rec writer, and guidance counselor describing their college plans, highlights and strengths in their class, things about themselves they are hoping to show colleges (attrributes and the like) and so forth. They put a lot of effort into soliciting effective recommendations. So, their rec writers got a packet with this cover letter, all the forms from each college, and in some cases, the envelopes too if mailed directly or else in the cover letter directed the rec writer to give the recs to the GC by a certain date.</p>
<p>PS...the form that the teacher or guidance counselor fills out, has some basic information that the STUDENT should fill out FOR the rec writer. But often, there are some things that the rec writer needs to answer or check off or rate, as well.</p>
<p>We called every school on my d's list which utilized the teacher recommendation forms. Every single admissions counselor confirmed that they are only concerned with the actual letter written by the teacher.
Each admissions person told us that the forms were there only for "guidelines to the type of info" they were looking for. </p>
<p>Similarly to Pohsmom, the schools were fine with original letters from teachers, without the cumbersome forms to keep track of. </p>
<p>But, again, do not take the word of this forum, as well intentioned as we all are. (lol)
Call the schools yourself and ask their policies. You will feel much better when it comes from the source!
Best of luck!</p>
<p>thank you guys so much for your feedback!! it is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Just a reminder: at some point, the student should contact each school to check that ALL materials, including SAT scores, have been received. Do NOT count on the schools to let you know. Last year (or perhaps it was the year before) at least one person on this board found out that her materials were never completely received at one BFA program so she couldn't be considered. The admissions people at most schools are fantastic, but they get A LOT of materials and no one cares about yours the way you do. So CHECK.</p>