<p>Hi guys:</p>
<p>My teacher showed me the recommendation he is writing for me...well...it is ok but it is just SHORT, it is like half a page if you type it in font 10....</p>
<p>what can i do? how can i tell him POLITELY, that i would like to have a one-pager?</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>Does it really matter? Half a page (espcially in 10 font) is not short. And length does not matter nearly as much as content.</p>
<p>my bad...I meant to say half a page font 12...(the essay i was writing as i typed the thread has font 10 lol)</p>
<p>so, any suggestions?</p>
<p>Yes. You don't. He wrote your recommendation; it is up to him, not to you, how long it is and what it says. Short and to the point isn't bad; in fact, with all the stuff that admissions counselors have to read, it may very well be refreshing to read a short one!</p>
<p>will be nice to have longer recommendation.</p>
<p>MY son had his calculus instructor write a letter and it also was very short. His been getting in and getting merit awards. Just relax and let things take their course. It all works out.</p>
<p>This teacher wrote you a rec. Accept the one he gives you, thank him, and if you really feel like you need a longer one (why?) - then ask another teacher for a recommendation.</p>
<p>What's wrong with a half-page rec?</p>
<p>There's absolutely nothing wrong with a half-pager. I don't know how long exactly mine was, but I got the feeling that one wasn't longer than yours, since that teacher has always been very concise and detests stuff that drags on for too long. </p>
<p>And just for your benefit, I want to point out the waiver/no waiver of rights to see your application thing. I know a lot of people put down "waived" and still ended up seeing the recommendations in the end. If you have waived it, then you might want to stop telling people about the fact that you've read the recommendation. I heard from someone that if you waived it, it's actually technically illegal to read the recommendation even if your teacher offers to show it to you afterwards. At my school, if you waive your rights, the teachers just send the letters directly from school w/o showing them to you. So just be careful. And good luck! :)</p>
<p>Illegal? You've been misinformed.</p>
<p>I guess content matters more than length...</p>
<p>It's not illegal to see the rec before it goes out.</p>
<p>Agree with vin - content is what matters, not length. Besides with all the work they have right now, adcoms just might appreciate not having to read ANOTHER lengthy rec!</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you have waived it, then you might want to stop telling people about the fact that you've read the recommendation. I heard from someone that if you waived it, it's actually technically illegal to read the recommendation even if your teacher offers to show it to you afterwards.
[/quote]
As noted above, this is incorrect. When you "waived your right", it's the right to go to the college's admissions office and DEMAND to see the letter. It does not mean that you cannot read the letter, or that someone cannot voluntarily give you a copy of the letter. All the waiver does is give the letter writer and the school the ability to say "No".</p>
<p>thanks guys!</p>
<p>now that i look back to it, it is a pretty dumb question to ask @@</p>
<p>but who knows...i think i just went nuts over the application rush @@</p>