<p>Hey! I am going to be a junior so I don't have to worry about applying to college for a another whole year (lucky me lol). However, I was recently talking with a friend of mine (a senior) about which teachers he was going to get recommendations from. This got me thinking. I hope to study classics in college while majoring in economics and the most logical thing to do would be getting a recommendation from my Latin teacher of 3 years. He is one of the top teachers in my high school and I happen to have many achievements in his class. I know he would write me a great one but unfortunately he will be retiring at the end of this year (my junior year). I was thinking about just asking him to write me one at the end of the year and keeping it over the summer but now I'm wondering if college admissions offices have a policy regarding an official letter of recommendation from a teacher who technically no longer works at the student's high school. I feel that this letter would be very important and I wonder if I could just send them a letter asking them to make an exception under the circumstances or just send it as an extra (provided that they'd read it...).</p>
<p>I'm almost positive they would still let you get a reccomendation from him. My advice is to get to know him throughout your junior year, find out whether he's staying in the area you live in when he retires, if he is, just tell him you want him to recommend you, have him give you his phone #, then get in touch with him early in your senior year. If he's moving, then get in touch with him via phone or e-mail, tell him the schools you're applying to, possibly mailing the forms along with the stamped envelopes (just to be polite). </p>
<p>I'm asking a teacher who is switching to a different school this year, and I've heard of other people doing the same thing. </p>
<p>best of luck</p>
<p>Thanks jmarsh</p>
<p>yeah that's legit. Discuss it with him at the end of junior year. Ask "if he'd be interested in writing you a recommendation" and if he "feels he could write you a good recommendation." I think he probably will be glad to, based on what you've said.</p>
<p>Theres no problem with him having retired or moved, as long as he was your actual school teacher, who he was. Considering it's been 3 years with him, he can probably write you a great rec. You should look for another teacher as well.</p>
<p>My computer science teacher was retiring at the end of my junior year. I had had him for 10th and 11th grade. I asked him if he would be willing and he was, so he gave me his email, I contacted him during the summer, explained what I planned on doing and so forth. Finally I packaged everything up and drove it to him to his house. I kept in touch with him via email to make sure everything was ok. I think this was my best recommendation too, so I am glad I put in the extra effort even though he was retiring.</p>
<p>So...yes definately use a teacher even if they are retired.</p>