<p>So, I have two teachers who know me very well and would write me great recommendation letters (AP English teacher and newspaper advisor), and they've both expressed interest in doing so, but some schools only ask for one letter of rec. I actually think these teachers would be offended if I had to choose only one of them to write the letter. Is it okay to send two teacher recommendations?</p>
<p>Also, if I'm applying to six or seven schools, do I need to ask teachers to fill out seven different recommendation forms?? Is that a common procedure? It seems a little ridiculous to me..</p>
<p>You give the forms to your teachers, with addressed stamped envelopes. Many will write one letter, copy it, and write "see attached letter" on the form.</p>
<p>There really is no other way for recommendations to go to multiple schools. Teachers who have expressed a willingness to do recommendations know what the procedure is.</p>
<p>I don't see how teacher A would know how many recommendations you have asked for from teacher B. You can always send in supplemental recommendations, but that would have to be noted on the form. (However, if you have given a stack of forms to a teacher, s/he might not see whether you've labeled something as supplemental or not ...)</p>
<p>The way my kids did it was to give a copy of the recommendation form (filled out where appropriate -- some forms do require the student to fill out certain information) paperclipped to the right envelope -- in other words, each college was separate. It seemed that way things are less likely to get misplaced and the right form will go to the right college. They had a mix of common application and noncommon application schools.</p>
<p>If all your colleges use the common application, you can always ask the teachers if they just want one copy of the recommendation form or one for each place.</p>
<p>what, in total, do I need to give my teachers. the proper forms (either one for each school or one for them to photocopy), stamped and addressed envelopes for every school...</p>
<p>I don't think they need anything else -- other than the deadlines by which things need to be mailed. At least, my two kids never gave them anything else!</p>
<p>I guess if your teachers do want something else, they can tell you. If you are worried, you can simply ask them up front.</p>
<p>Here is how I am handling recommendations. I'm applying to a few super-reach schools so I want everything to be pristine and easy for my teacher to handle. I'm posting this so that if anybody who has questions about what to send, or if anybody wants to comment and tell me I'm being ridiculous!</p>
<p>Teachers sort of handle recs strangely at my school. Basically, about 200 kids are going to rush to try to ask the same group of 10 or so teachers. I have already talked to 2 teachers who are for sure going to help me out, and then I'm sending a supplemental rec also.</p>
<p>For each teacher, I am providing:
-a trapper-keeper type binder/folder thing with each tab labeled with the name of the college
-for each college: the recommendation form (individually printed out for each school), any comments about why I particularly want to attend that college (on a separate piece of paper for the teacher to look at), and an envelope stamped/addressed to the college
-a calendar with all of the deadlines for recommendation letters
-my activities list, SAT scores, and class rank and such (a large number of your teachers may not know things like this), which the teacher can choose to skim over, or not
-a copy of an essay or a project that I completed in that teacher's course as a refresher of my work (even though teachers know how well you write when you first ask them to write a rec, it might help to trigger their memory if they can flip through an essay that they graded earlier that year or the previous year)
-things I enjoyed about that teacher's class/subject
-about 20-30 pieces of high-quality glossy paper for the teachers to print my recs on...at least at my school paper is always something that teachers are in need of, and asking a teacher to print me out 8 or so 1 1/2 page letters of rec...I feel I should supply the paper.</p>
<p>Anyway, that's a lot of stuff, but it will help keep everything organized. Spending $2 on the trapper-keeper thing is worth it, I think. Hopefully all of this will help teachers write recommendations in the easiest way possible, I know it gets tiring for them.</p>
<p>j07--are you also planning to spray each document with floral-scented perfume, cover your calendar, activities list, SAT scores/class rank, and sample work with brightly colored stickers, and tie the entire package together with a pastel-colored gauze ribbon?</p>
<p>Because if not, your teachers will probably decline to recommend you.</p>
<p>haha, very funny leah.
actually i am just a perfectionist (if you couldn't tell...)
also, the fact that i am applying to 10 schools (and yes, that is a lot, and no, i don't need 15 comments telling me why that's silly) might make writing the recs more difficult since i despise the common app and am not using it unless absolutely necessary</p>