<p>What is the rule on these? Who should you ask to write them and what are they good for? I have a solid academic rec from an English teacher from my junior year who was also my psychology teacher when I was a sophomore (both classes were "advanced" or "honors" because of the years I took them). She knows me to be relatively the only one from my class who is determined to learn and go to a good college (Northwestern, UChicago, UMich, or Cornell). She is solid and can convince the admissions officers about my personality as well as my abilities. However, I don't have any other teachers who I have a good bond with who can work the personality side; there is a social studies teacher who was my World Studies (Geography/Cultures) teacher junior year and my World History Directed Study teacher this year. She can play up the personality side because she knows I'm very picky and itchy about grades and doing well and learning. However, I worry about the quality of the rec because she's sort of the rec writer that will do everyone's and I'm worried it would be too generic. Then there is a math teacher who thinks highly of me, yet I'm not the best math student she's had and she'd probably bring up the fact that I don't ask her questions all the time because I always seem to understand what we're doing (just not when we take the tests). I'm leaning towards the Social Studies teacher, but I think a supplemental rec from someone else would help.</p>
<p>With that, let me explain about who I'd ask for the supplemental rec: I had a teacher from eighth grade who, over the course of my freshman and sophomore years, I got really close with. He was moved to my high school during my junior year where I was a Peer Mentor in one of his hours: I was supposed to help the students (Peer Mentor, get it), but there never seems to be a need to do so; so I played personal assistant because none of his other assistants were competent enough to do anything correctly. He helped me a lot with my writing and also was a great source of boosting my ego and spirits. He knows me probably better than any of my friends. He knows how to express in words how close we are and I feel he'd be a very strong rec in terms of assessing character, personality, goals, strengths, and overall impression of who I am that I can't convey myself. Sadly, the horrible district I go to school in laid him off because of budget cuts and he is in another district now and there is the possibility of never seeing him again if he can't make it to my graduation. I do talk to him through email so we still "know each other" well enough for him to do a rec. Would this be a good idea?</p>
<p>Thanks for your input.</p>