<p>How much do teacher recommendations matter in the college application process?
Will a high gpa, a high SAT score, good extra ciriculars, leadership balance out an okay rec?</p>
<p>Should students ask their college counseller to write a rec before summer starts?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I speak not as an admissions officer but as a student who has read a bunch of books on college admissions.</p>
<p>Teacher recommendations are more important at some schools than they are at other schools. I think the most important aspect about teacher recommendations is that they give a picture of you from the point of view of someone who has taught you and known you for a long time. The information in teacher recommendations isn't the same as SAT scores, GPA, course selection, etc. But a lot of teacher recommendations come out, I think, being very generic and similar to everyone else's. </p>
<p>The answer to your second question is, Yes. But if you do have such a high GPA, high SAT, and work hard inside of school and outside, then why would your recommendation letter be just okay? You should only ask teachers who you think would write strong recommendation letters.</p>
<p>Third question: In my high school, it's not necessary. My counselor let me see the recommendation letter, and he basically summarized the activities and awards I won, and which I put on my application, so it didn't really contain that much new information. But my high school is big, and counselors don't really have much time to really get to know you and say something profound. For that reason, counselor recommendations aren't as big a deal as teacher recommendations. Because my counselor's recommendation wasn't that great, but I still got into most of my schools, which are mostly selective, I don't think asking a counselor to write a rec before summer is really necessary. But if you do have a list of colleges that you're going to apply to (It took until early senior year for me to have my final list), then it wouldn't hurt to ask.</p>
<p>How high are you aiming?</p>
<p>My friend with ridiculous stats had lukewarm recs (I'm guessing; his teachers don't really like him...). He didn't get into any of the privates he applied to, but he applied to 3 big names.</p>
<p>As for your third question, how does your school normally process counselor recs? Mine did my rec over the summer but that's just how we do things.</p>
<p>Its not that I won't get a good rec, its just that I'm kind of quiet and don't say much. I think my teachers will just say how hard I work and how dedicated I am. and its not that I don't have a personality, I talk a lot when I'm with my peers, just not in class. I ask a lot of questions in class, but only class related stuff.
I'm trying for the top schools, HPYS</p>
<p>btw where are you going dchow?</p>
<p>intelligentimp, it's no sweat. Just go up to the teacher one day during lunch or something and ask. It's no biggie. Your teachers will probably be glad to write you one.</p>
<p>And I'm headed to Swarthmore College. I didn't apply to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Stanford because I didn't think I'd like going there. I did get into the University of Chicago, though.</p>
<p>thanks everyone :)</p>