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<p>This is something I’ll never, ever understand with students going through the process of asking for recommendations.</p>
<p>Either the person knows you or they don’t. If the person was your teacher, don’t you think the teacher will go back into his/her grade book to see what kind of student you were, grade-wise? Or do you think that if you write up your resume showing you got all As in history, that your history teacher (whom you asked to write you a rec) won’t check that?</p>
<p>Recommendations should be asked from teachers whose classes you did well in, and with whom you have a close enough relationship such that the teacher’s positive feelings will shine through on the rec.</p>
<p>Would you prefer that a teacher who barely knows you write: “He received an A in my history class, and I understand he volunteers at the library” just because the teacher saw that on your “resume”?</p>
<p>Or might you prefer that a teacher who *really knows you *write: “his test scores and class participation earned him a solid A, my top grade in that class, and he solicited my help in getting a volunteer job at the library, researching the history archives for their upcoming Civil War exhibit. I knew that not only would he be good at this volunteer position, but based on his enthusiasm in my class, I knew he’d have fun with it.”</p>
<p>Get recommendations from people who know you. What’s a school superintendent going to be able to say about you? “Looking at his transcript, you can see he’s a wonderful student.”</p>
<p>Adcoms know how to read a transcript. Your best recommendations will come from people who don’t need your resume.</p>