<p>I was talking to my teacher who is doing my rec, and I peeked at the ratings section of the common app. She had me checked for "one of the top few in my career" only for about half of them. She has been teaching for 19 years, and she has had some amazing students in the past. However, I am somewhat disppointed, as I expected her to check the highest rating for almost all of them.<br>
She has shown me her written recommendation, and it is pretty flattering. It ends by saying I am one of the best students she has ever taught. I also expect my other teacher and counselor recs to be very good.
What do teachers normally put for the ratings for a student looking at top colleges? I know there are those teachers who would just blow off a recommendation and check "one of the top few" for every single one and write recommendation full of generic comments. That wouldn't be better, though, would it? Both my teachers have been teaching forever, so they probably use "one of top few" more sparingly. So are the ratings she gave me not very good? Should I give her subtle hints about mythoughts?</p>
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She had me checked for "one of the top few in my career" only for about half of them. She has been teaching for 19 years, and she has had some amazing students in the past. However, I am somewhat disppointed, as I expected her to check the highest rating for almost all of them.
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What I really don't understand is why you're dissapointed because she only check half of them in "one of the top few in my career"... Is your ego so inflated that you she needs to check that for every single box?</p>
<p>I don't even know what my teachers checked for the boxes.</p>
<p>his ego is not necessarily inflated because he may be disappointed for not being among the best students his teacher had......i would feel bad too if i was not considered to be among the top wouldn't you?</p>
<p>I know it's not that bad, since I'm pretty sure she checked "one of the best" for overall and the written letter is flattering and for the other ones she probably checked "outstanding". I was simply expecting better, tho.</p>
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his ego is not necessarily inflated because he may be disappointed for not being among the best students his teacher had......i would feel bad too if i was not considered to be among the top wouldn't you?
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well, obviously he was one of the best students his teacher had because he/she checked off that for 1/2 of the boxes... And teacher recs are my weak point, so I don't feel bad...</p>
<p>If your counselor checks one of the top for all of them, it will seem fake anyways. I highly doubt you are the top at everything.</p>
<p>It's just that I hear about other people getting all "one of the top." Thanks for all your posts</p>
<p>I actually think it's better that the teacher doesn't put "one of the top" on all of them. It shows that the teacher is being completely honest, because, really, how many people are going to be "one of the best in my career" for all of them? Having a few of those (along with the next step down, "excellent" I think) is really fine.</p>
<p>heh one of my teachers put all check marks on one of the top. i thought it was kinda fake too</p>
<p>I have the whole thing now. She checked 7 "top in my career", 5 "top 5%, and 4 top 10%. I'm kinda bummed. She did check "one of top in career" for the overall, and like I said before, the written rec is flattering and ends with "definitely one of the best students I've taught in the last 19 years"<br>
But still, she's such a harsh rater!</p>
<p>^bribe her (j/k)</p>
<p>without "lower" checks how can colleges know your true strengths anyway?</p>
<p>I got all "top in career" checks for my English recommendation. My english teacher is also the chair of the english department, so I don't think that it's always a bad thing. I think they'd know to trust her especially since she holds that position.</p>
<p>I never asked my teachers whether they checked so-and-so, but considering how mediocre the rest of the school is, if the checked "Top few of my career" for nearly all categories I wouldnt be surprised. </p>
<p>Before the outspoken liberals flame me, I'm alluding to the mediocrity of the careers of the teachers. It's a joke ffs.</p>
<p>John:</p>
<p>Believe me (because I have seen it), particular teachers get certain reputations in admissions departments, especially if they work in schools that send a large number of kids to elite schools. If a large number of teachers are selecting the top box for everything, and the kids they are sending don't live up to those expectations, admissions departments will generally know this.</p>
<p>Be happy. Many kids have no shot at those kinds of recs.</p>
<p>it's just that I could ask another teacher who I have a good relationship with but doesn't know me quite as well. He would just check the highest for everything and copy down my resume in his letter. I don't know if that's any better, and it would kinda depress me.</p>
<p>also, my friend discreetly talked it up with her (the teacher), just the topic of rating, not specifically me of course. Her reasonn was that colleges don't want perfect kids. They want to know each person's strenghts and weaknesses and they can smell a fake rec letter. good point, but still.</p>
<p>I still can't believe that you're so arrogant you really expect to be the best student she's ever encountered in 19 years lol.</p>
<p>Do teachers usually show students the recs they've written, even when students have signed the release? I don't think either of mine intend to show me theirs...</p>
<p>they're not suposed to technically. I made sure my teacher knew I signed to waive my right to see it, but she gave it to me anyway. She said it was silly becuase if she didn't have anything good to put she wouldn't write one.
My other teacher is keeping his a secret. :)</p>