<p>Hi,
How much do recommendations matter in college admissions? Because I have a teacher that showed me my common app recommendation, and although he's written that I'm excellent, etc, etc. For the check boxes, (top 10%, top 5%, top few in my career), he checked mostly top 5% and a few top 10%s, no "top few in my career" s. That kind of concerns me, how much would this hurt me in the admissions game? Especially if some of the ones I got marked down on were things like "leadership" and "cares for others?" How can I suggest that he raise those without offending him? Any advice? </p>
<p>Just some background, I'm applying to an Ivy, so this may be very important? I need this rec in by Nov 1, so I think it may be too late to ask another teacher? Thank you.</p>
<p>Dude...... maybe you're really not one of the top few in his career. I mean if he teaches around 200 students every year and has been teaching for 20 years thats 4000 students(its an arbitrary figure... i know). Being among the top out of 4000 students is really tough.
Any teacher with some integrity would not change his review because you say it will help your admissions process.</p>
<p>yeah, i might not be, but how harmful is this? because if i knid of emphasized some of the points that he marked me down for in my app (i.e. i said i was a good leader, and he marked me down for that). </p>
<p>to reinterate, he didn't give me any bad ratings, but he gave me pretty much all top 5%, with a few top 10%s (which were actually some of the points I was stressing in my app)...</p>
<p>He probably let you see it so you wouldn't send if if you can get a better rec. Som,e teachers have a hard time just saying they won't be able to give you a top rec. Try someone else because it would kill you at top colleges unless your high school is extraordinary.</p>
<p>Dude try to understand.......saying you were among top 5% or top 10% is definitely not "marking you down"</p>
<p>Its a ridiculous expectation you have that he should think you're one of the top few students he's encountered in his career.... maybe he doesn't feel that way?</p>
<p>hm yeah, but he basically lets everyone see their recs, so i don't know if it's because he doesn't want to write a good one for me?</p>
<p>I don't really want to ask him to rate me higher, because obviously that's pretty lame. So, I probably will end up having to ask someone else. How would I tell him that I don't want it?</p>
<p>You arent supposed to see your rec...... Now you HAVE to get annother teacher to write one for you. Unless, you did not sign that part of the rec form, in which case colleges will be a little suspicous. Either way, your teacher did not say you were like in the bottom 25% ever, so you are fine. There can only be so many students that can be #1 in a teacher's eyes over so many years. So long as the letter he writes about you is good that is all that matters. Either way, i doubt colleges weigh teacher recs much. They just want to see you work hard, participate in class, and are a nice person. Anything more will help minimally.</p>
<p>I waived my right to see it. That means I don't have the right to demand to see it, but that doesn't mean that I can't see it. I can see it if he allows me to.</p>
<p>And teacher recs reflect upon how hard I work in class, etc ;).</p>
<p>Venkater you're sooo wrong
"Either way, i doubt colleges weigh teacher recs much. They just want to see you work hard, participate in class, and are a nice person. Anything more will help minimally."</p>
<p>Teacher recs are an extremely important part of the app. cuz they represent the opinion of someone who's tought you in class for years.</p>
<p>Um, Grades are the most important part of any application followed by alumni status. Almost nothing (including recs, essays, etc) can make up for poor grades. Having 10 generations of family members go to a college will make up for 1 whole point, but if you have a 1.5 you are probably way out of luck. A bad teacher rec will hurt, an amazing one may help, but mostly, teacher recs do not do anything. They add a little to an application by showing a student's personality, but really how much does that really count? Your teachers see you for 45 minutes a day. They can make some inferences about you through your work habits, participation in class, and test scores, but really, how many applicants to ivys participate in class and have good grades? A lot. Very few recs, essays, etc etc shine through and will make a significant difference in your application for the better. Ever wonder why some colleges are reluctant to allow you to send in additional recs? It is because recs, in general, do not say enough to be worth an adcom's time. In fact some schools refuse to accept additional recs, and others like Stanford claim that most students do not use the option to send in more recs than is required. A very good and personal rec from President Bush will help a bunch, but a good teacher rec wont stand out to adcoms at ivys because they have seen thousands of them.</p>
<p>I'm a hypocrite though and have been sucking up to two teachers since last year and hope to get good enough recs from them. I should get good recs and they should help me a little, but i would never expect them to be a factor in why I got into any college.</p>
<p>Dude i'm not talking about the 1.5 gpa student.
I'm talking about students who are qualified to get into the university in question. Out of all of them when you need to decide, a 2200 sat over a 2150 sat is or a 3.8 gpa over a 3.7 gpa is not going to be the deciding factor. Outstanding reccos and essays can go a long way to help you in this situation.</p>
<p>Totally agree with badman that recs count VERY much. And venaker is just confused, alumni staus is second after GPA???!!! Hello??? Can't tell you how many legacies I know who wish that were true!!</p>
<p>At top colleges, those applying that are not totally out to lunch have qualifying GPAs and SATs. Recs are an important factor in colleges knowing if you're just another grind or the type of person, and leader, they want on campus.</p>
<p>I went to a school where more than 30% went to top schools. If a teacher ticked top 10% for a few things it wouldn't kill you. But if you are positioning as an exceptional person from a school that does not produce a lot of top college candidates, and the teacher didn't teach at Exeter before, it will hurt if that teacher doesn't say you're among his top ever students. Thank him for his effort and be honest.</p>
<p>Also suze (or anyone else who is familiar with this process),
Would submitting additional recs be beneficial - If they're good, but not from core teachers, but from say... a boss or a scientist you worked with?</p>
<p>^ depends on the college. Some will like it, some dont want it, some have opinions and wont tell you. It may help if the rec adds something new. If it is annother rec saying you are smart not so much. </p>
<p>About legacy adding a lot to your app, let's pretend every member of your family went to Harvard and gave the school millions over the years. If you have a 3.5 and 2000 you are probably in. If one parent went to Harvard, it wont help much if at all. Athletics helps too. Being recruited gets kids into Harvard. Not many applicants have strong legacies and almost noone is recruited by Ivys because you also need the basic grades along with the amazing abilites. I really cannot see how teacher recs make the biggest difference in admissions. Good ones will help separate you from a few other applicants, but at top colleges, I am guessing many competitive applicants have good recs. Essays are the best way to show who you are and what you want to do. However, 90% of essays will not catch an adcom's eyes and be seen as exceptional. For most people, GPA, SAT, and ECs are the biggest factors, with essays and recs just making your app more than just a bunch of lists and numbers. Sometimes they can add a little, but really how much can they really help? Adcoms wont spend more than half an hour reviewing your app so either stuff stands out or it doesnt. Bad things stand out more, and for something to be seen as very good at a top college, it needs to be amazing.</p>
<p>Clearly venkater is not a Gilmour Girls fan. Paris, five generatons at the big H, pres of everything, rich, rejected. venkater, you're just plain wrong about the 3.5/2000, do your research!!!</p>
<p>That is fantasy. I am talking real life. You can buy admissions at colleges. Some just cost more than others. On Gilmour Girls they should have dontated a few million more I guess ;). But anyway, who really cares what the rich and powerful can do. They are not on CC. They have gotten their likely letters by now.</p>