<p>I have already had my daughter ask 4 seperate teachers to write her reference letters so that we could pick the 2 best. *But, We know a professor at a local highly competitive university who is considered a genius and has won big time awards(nobel, presidents, etc) He kept asking me about letters of reference. After I left I started wondering was he hinting at writing one for my D??? Would that be any good? Is that something a college would want? Should I ask? He has never formally taught her but has known her for probably 12 years or more and thinks very highly of her. </p>
<p>Definitely ask him to give reference and include that in extra materials if possible. </p>
<p>On a side note, you can pick which recs to send? All my teachers gave their letter directly to the school to be mailed, if I want to see them, I'd have to ask my school to release my file.</p>
<p>Well a while back someone asked a similar question, but rather it was should I ask my teacher from a college course, and so I went on common app and I asked them if I could use a college teacher's recommendation, and this is what they said:</p>
<p>You'll need to ask one of your selected colleges if they will accept a college-level teacher's evaluation. They typically want teachers who have taught you an academic subject during your third and fourth year of high school.</p>
<p>Though granted the colleges in question might not participate in the common app, but nonetheless I recommend asking each particular college in question.</p>
<p>A few college websites mention that they are not going to be impressed by the prominence of the people who gave recos. They prefer recommendations from teachers who taught the student one or more courses, and thus had significant academic interaction. Then they want one from the guidance counsellor.</p>
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I have already had my daughter ask 4 seperate teachers to write her reference letters so that we could pick the 2 best.
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<p>You should not be doing this. In fact most applications ask if the student wants to waive their rights to see the recommendations. To not waive your right so "you can pick the 2 best" will essentially make your recommendations useless because the teachers will not feel that they have the freedom to write objectively about your daughter and the college will look at the rec's as just that, something written to satisfy the parent.</p>
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But, We know a professor at a local highly competitive university who is considered a genius and has won big time awards(nobel, presidents, etc) He kept asking me about letters of reference. After I left I started wondering was he hinting at writing one for my D???
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<p>This this type or recommendation is going to do nothing for your daughter unless your D has actually studied or has done research with this professor. It may in fact even backfire as although he has known her for 12 years the most he can say is that "she's a nice kid' and 'she seems to be pretty bright". Other than that s/he really won't have anything of substance to use to back up these statements. Skip him.</p>
<p>Sybbie is right. Don't get the rec from someone who can't speak to the student's motivation, class participation, work ethic, intelligence, leadership, etc. </p>
<p>Also, don't rec shop. Ask she should only ask for letters from the two teachers from whom she believes she will get the best recommendation. It's even okay to ask the teacher if he or she feels comfortable writing a good recommendation for the student. There are teachers at our high school that, when asked for rec letters, simply tell the student it would be best if they asked someone else.</p>
<p>i recommend having the college professor write a outside letter of recommendation, that way you can have both your teacher recommendations and the supporting college professor's :)</p>
<p>"You should not be doing this. In fact most applications ask if the student wants to waive their rights to see the recommendations."</p>
<p>Most of the teachers at my high school give you a copy of the letter of recommendation as well as sending one to the college. This gives the student a chance to read and see it and be able to waive the right to see the recommendations.</p>
<p>Wow.. I still don't know what to do. lol..<br>
I knew that he wouldn't do anything as far as her academics but I figured a personal rec since he does know her as a good family friend and she has been to his house and played with his children. He is a professor and she wants to be one someday too.</p>
<p>As far as the recs from my daughters teachers..... She is very close to several of them and has done extremely well in these classes. When I met with her gc in the spring she stated we would get copies. </p>
<p>Thanks for everyones input. Any other info would continue to be informitive since I really have no clue what I'm doing and am figuring it out as I go along.</p>
<p>It's all good, though this type of letter does sound familiar in that a girl in my school had been waitlisted at Davidson [her dream school] so she asked friends and family if they could possibly send in letters of support and so forth [myself included] and of the large collection one was from a college professor from Rutgers who had a long relationship with the family and so when he sent in his letter it was apparently one of the more effective ones [along with our principal's phone call] and my friend was put on the top of the list for the northeast region so I think this letter can be used for that dream school though obviously my friend lucked out considerably.</p>