Hi,
I’m at senior and just got priority status & a free application waiver to University of Portland through collegeboard, so I started and finished the app yesterday and sent my test scores in today. The finished application requires me to send in one teacher or counselor recommendation (I barely know my counselor so it won’t be her) which should be sent to my counselor for her to send off. The problem is that before the end of my junior year, I was only planning on applying to CalStates (which changed) so I didn’t ask at all in advance-- bad decision on my part. I’m not rushing for it to be sent as I still have a couple weeks, but is it rude to not have asked before the school year started? How can I make it easier for the teacher writing it? Also, is it okay to have my counselor print copies of a recommendation to use for other schools so I don’t have to keep asking? Also, (sorry for all the questions) I’m planning on asking my AP Lang teacher for sure because I did really well in his class and he complimented my writing and character pretty often. I was also thinking of asking my Algebra 2 teacher. I am awful at math and was 1-3% away from having a D both semesters, but I went to almost every one of the open tutoring sessions he held twice a week for the entire school year (I missed exactly 2). Since I spent so much time in his class, he knows my personality and can probably write more about me as a person than any other teacher I’ve had. He also knows how hard I worked just to pass the class (I also had a private tutor in addition to getting help from him. Like I said I’m just naturally awful at it). The reason I’m not sure about asking him is because I don’t want his letter to be counterintuitive and just further remind admissions officers of my bad grade instead of explain (I guess I could even say justify) it.