I saw that someone else posted something similar, but I’m in a slightly different position. Barnard requires teacher recommendations from teachers in the last two years of your schooling (which I believe might include sophomore year because anything sent for ED would be by November 1st, and no teacher you’ve had for two months would have a better idea of your personality than one you have for an entire year).
My recommenders are a teacher I had in 10th grade for an AP science class, and a teacher I had once in 10th grade and now again in 12th for AP lit.
I’m not sure how much this jeopardizes my ED application- if it jeopardizes it at all (and we’ll find out in December for real).
I have a really good feeling about my recommendations, and I can only hope they don’t reject me based on principle. I asked my AP science reccomender not to mention what grade I was in when he had me, which I think could be enough (unless the recommendation specifically asks for me? not sure how that works) but I’m still worried.
Not sure how to feel… Barnard is basically my dream school, and I wish I could say for certain that I had no chance of getting in, because at least then I would know, but my chances are good and truly up in the air.
Note that they say “should” and not “must.” You can read into it what you will.
The teacher that you had in 10th grade but is again your teacher is not the issue. The issue is the teacher that has not taught you since sophomore year… The saving grace though is that he taught you in an AP class. I think it would be OK if he’s had interaction with you last year as well as,for example, a club moderator. Regardless, it won’t cause your application to go in the trash if there is not other teacher from your junior year that can write a strong rec.
I think I posted on this before, too. When my daughter applied RD to Barnard a long time ago (applied in 2006) – they had the same requirement and my daughter submitted a rec from a teacher who she had in 9th & 10th grade, but not after. She did have ongoing contacts with the teacher via a school activity. That teacher wrote the best recommendation ever. IF the decision to admit my daughter was made in whole or in part from any LOR, then that would have been the LOR that sealed the deal. So it was 100% correct decision for my daughter to take that risk.
But of course it was a risk. I think the reason that it worked for my daughter is that the letter was very detail-rich and informative. My daughter had very solid reasons for choosing that teacher - and I think that Barnard’s longstanding request for LOR’s from 11th/12th grade teacher doesn’t really take into account the variety of experiences students have coming through high school.
I do think that Barnard is serious about that requirement, as they have had it consistently for so many years. But at the same time I think that the best thing you can do for yourself is to put together the strongest application possible.
I’d add that my daughter had the advantage of being able to see the LOR’s that her teachers wrote before they were sent off to the colleges. So she was making an informed decision.
But my ultimate advice is to make the application process your own, and go with whatever you feel allows you to put together an app that best reflects who you are.
Do you have any 11th grade teachers you could ask to replace the 10th grade science teacher even if it is only for Barnard’s application? As noted above the other 10th grade teacher is fine as he/she is also your 12th grade teacher. You also may want to mention this requirement to the teacher you have again now and ask that he/she be sure to include at least a bit of updated information based on your performance to date in the 12th grade class (understanding that there is a limited window of time you have been in the 12th grade class) .
@happy1 I’ve asked my world language teacher, who I’ve had for all four years to also do a recommendation. I’m hoping that the combination is enough to satisfy the requirements. What do you think?
Yes, that sounds fine. I would just send the language and literature teacher to Barnard. Don’t send a third teacher LOR if two are requested. Good luck!
Why don’t you email admissions officer at Barnard and ask? Then you will know for sure. It sounds reasonable to me but I don’t work for Barnard admissions.
They make no such recommendation. Now, if all your ECs scream STEM and you plan on a STEM major, then yes, it would be weird not to have a STEM rec. Otherwise, it’s not critical. But,as @happy1 suggests, just contact Barnard: admissions@barnard.edu Phone: 212-854-2014
A 3rd rec should only be included if it will say something that the other 2 don’t and adds a different dimension to you as the applicant. Don’t send a 3rd just to include more “stuff”
As you go through this process, you need to learn to use the tools available. I always suggest people carefully check the schools websites and google the questions before asking here. https://admissions.barnard.edu/contact-us
Also I agree with @skieurope and don’t see a STEM teacher requirement. The website says “We require letters from two teachers that taught you in core academic subjects (English, foreign language, history [social science], mathematics, or science) in your final two years of secondary school.” https://admissions.barnard.edu/apply-barnard/first-year-students With that said, it seems to me that if you send an extra third LOR (not required), I don’t see an issue with it being from a 10th grade teacher. But it is fine to ask if they will consider a third teacher LOR from 10th grade if you want to be sure.