<p>Since Tufts requires a letter of recommendation from either a junior or senior teacher, I asked my junior English teacher to write me one. Although I did exceptionally well in his class and we got along well, we are not very close. I am thinking of getting my sophomore English teacher to write me on as well, because he has also been my homeroom teacher for the last four years. Tufts' website says extra letters are not encouraged, but I feel that this second teacher would really help a lot. Will it hurt my chances if I send a second recommendation, and do extra recommendations have to be from junior or senior year teachers?</p>
<p>I believe that only the first (required) recommendation needs to be from a junior or senior year teacher. In fact, "extra" recommendations do not necessarily have to be from teachers at all. That being said, if you really feel that your sophomore teacher will add some important insight into who you are as a student TODAY, then it certainly won't hurt to have an extra, but I have some concern that an extra recommendation from (1) another English teacher (2) who had you in tenth grade will be of limited value.</p>
<p>Well, since I am applying for English, I was hoping that would help me. Also, I believe that the tenth grade teacher would do a better job of exposing not only my academic side, but also my personal qualities. But if it were to turn out to be another generic letter of recommendation, would that hurt my chances of admission?</p>
<p>I'd be careful about getting teacher recs from 9th or 10th grade teachers - not because the information would be redundant or generic, but because (as WCAS implies) the rec may not be current. </p>
<p>The natural inclination from a 10th grade teacher rec is to talk about your work in the classroom as a 10th grader. The truth is that most students evolve significantly between sophomore and senior year. Parents know this, teachers know this, but you may not see that quite so clearly. Take a look at the sophomores in your high school right now; that was you when this teacher built his/her relationship with you. </p>
<p>If you get a rec from a 10th grade teacher, as WCASParent says, make sure that rec is about you TODAY, not you during your first semester of 10th grade. If your relationship with that teacher hasn't evolved as you have evolved over the last year and a half, the rec probably won't be as meaningful as you think. </p>
<p>None of this is meant to imply that such a rec cannot have value or aid you in your process, but think about that growth carefully before submitting anything supplemental.</p>
<p>Hy, Being an international prospective student, I have many concerns about college admission process. One of my biggest is about teacher recommendations.</p>
<p>I would like to ask for your advice: Should I ask my homeroom teacher who is my AP physics teacher this year as well for a recommendation? She knows me well, she was my homeroom teacher last year too, and my test results at her physics class are great. But someone told me that homeroom teachers can not be considered for recommendation. Please tell me what to do. Do you think she can be reliable for exposing my academic side?</p>
<p>Whatever teacher can give us the most complete picture of who you are as a thinker and as a person is who you should ask for your recommendations, provided that teacher is also one from your final or penultimate year. </p>
<p>A physics teacher who feels strongly about your classroom performance and who knows you well outside of class as well could be ideal. Ask yourself: if I had to pick a faculty member from my school to sit down with a stranger and talk about why I am an interesting/smart/dynamic person, who would that be? If this physics teacher is the one that springs to mind, I say go for it.</p>