<p>Hello there! I have a few questions about my application and was wondering if any one could help me out.</p>
<p>Just how bad is it if I sent in one teacher recommendation from a junior year teacher and another from sophomore year?</p>
<p>Also, I've only taken two foreign language classes and they were both taken my freshman year. No FL since. I know this will look to an admissions officer as if I didn't care about my FL and just got it out of the way as quick as I could. While this is in ways true (and I know there's no excuse), I just couldn't put up much with my FL class. There as only one teacher for my language and we spend an average of 2 classes a week watching movies in English (never in the FL). That is but the tip of the iceberg. First semester I just taught myself, but second semester (second class) I decided to just end it. </p>
<p>I'm NOT applying to technical or science/math-intensive schools which wouldn't mind this as much (applying to UChicago, Reed, etc.) and have many, many interests which I'm positive will come out in my essays and help me not seem narrowly focused academically. I just don't want to muster contradictions in an admissions officer's mind...</p>
<p>For the teacher Rec, it really depends on how well your sophomore year teacher knows you. Most colleges recommend against it because the teacher knew you as a sophomore. You've probably changed a lot since then so unless you've kept regular contact with the teacher, you don't want them to write the rec.</p>
<p>The junior year teacher rec is fine. The sophomore teacher is iffy. Adcoms may wonder why you chose to ask a teacher from so far back, rather than someone who's had you in class more recently. However, it could work to your advantage if the teacher knows you well and is able to testify to how you've developed as a person over the last two years.</p>
<p>The best thing to do regarding your FL situation is to write a note to put in your application. Simply explain that there were limited opportunities within your language and because of poor teaching and problems with the curriculum, you decided to register for courses that were more productive and stimulating. No adcom would fault you for that if you explain your reasons well.</p>
<p>I'd actually recommend that you ask your GC to write about the foreign language issue. And whatever you do, do not blame poor teaching for anything. It's a red flag - there's bad teaching everywhere, and other kids overcome it. A scheduling conflict may be OK; blaming a teacher is not.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice Chedva. It sounds like a good idea, but I attend a large public HS and will have a new GC senior year who has never seen me before. Do you think explaining the issue to her would help?</p>
<p>explain to your gc what happened, and most likely she'll go along with it and write an explanation.
as for recs, make sure the sophomore teacher puts how you've been in contact/developed this past year also. then it should be fine, as long as you have a junior year one also.</p>
<p>Agree with what has been said, though keep in mind that Chicago does have a core curriculum that includes bio, physics, and math. The bio, physics, and math requirements are not intended to be difficult (as the humanities, social sciences, and civ ones are), but just keep that in mind before writing off math/science completely.</p>
<p>Of all the schools in the country, I think Chicago and Reed will be the most understanding of this "burp" on your transcript. These schools see (and admit) all kinds of untraditional students who have deviated from what they've been told to do. If anything, your decision to drop the language might be seen as ballsy-- it seems you had good reason to do it, and that you won't tolerate being bored in the classroom.</p>
<p>Along with whatever your GC writes, I would suggest sending along a short note from you explaining why you dropped the class. You should also stress (for Chicago) that you are interested in picking up languages again, as you will need to fulfill a college-level year of language for Core.</p>
<p>I have a question: Is it then reccomended that your reccs are from Junior yr teachers? Because sophomore year is too far back, but you can't really have a rec from a senior year teacher can you?</p>
<p>The reasons are that junior year teachers knew you only a few months ago from the time admissions people see your application and they have had you in at least one full class, while sophomore year teachers are, like you said, from far back. As for whether junior year recs are preferred over senior year recs, I do not know.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the advice. I'll write a note too, and I actually am eager to start a FL (I've been yearning for German so I won't have to rely on translations for certain books).</p>