<p>Hello guys!</p>
<p>Could anyone please give me a primer on the whole teacher recommendation issue? Preferred teachers, when to do it, how to do it, etc?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>It’s nice to ask teachers when school begins in fall (or juniors can even ask in spring before they leave school for summer).</p>
<p>Most private schools want 1 or 2. Ask teachers who can give a good appraisal of your work ethic. Even if you didn’t get an A in their class, they should see that you are a hard worker - you turned in your work, you went above and beyond, you were prepared for the class, you added something to the classroom environment. </p>
<p>You should provide the teachers with a brag sheet or whatever the school requires, so the teacher can write a nice letter about you. </p>
<p>Give them 4-8 weeks to complete this assignment. Do not wait until the last minute. Teachers aren’t going to write nice things about you if they feel rushed because you were unprepared. </p>
<p>Depends upon the requirement - might need the teacher to write it on a Common Application computer link, might have to write in a hard copy and send it to the school.</p>
<p>As a sidenote, most high schools won’t let you see the recommendation due to privacy issues. Some teachers might give you a copy, but don’t expect this.</p>
<p>Our college counselor says it’s best to get letters from teachers you had for more than one class, preferably spread out over the four years.</p>
<p>Discover who can write this for you:
[Writing</a> Recommendations | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs]Writing”>How to write good letters of recommendation | MIT Admissions)</p>
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<p>This isn’t quite correct.</p>
<p>Under FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, you have a right to see your teachers’ recommendations. They become part of your file, not at your high school, but at the colleges and universities you apply to. When you enroll in a college, or if you dispute a college’s decision not to admit you, you have a right to review your educational records. (FERPA also gives you the right to keep your records private from other parties. Including your parents, once you are 18 years old. The difficulty that many college students run into, however, is that parents have a right not to pay one thin dime for your college education, and a lot of parents, including me, say that the price of financial support is parental access to your college educational records.)</p>
<p>But, FERPA also offers you the option of waiving your right to see your teachers’ recommendations. Virtually all applicants to college do waive this right. And you should waive this right. I have never heard a serious argument that it doesn’t matter whether you do or don’t waive, and certainly not any argument that you should not waive your right of access to your teachers’ recommendations.</p>
<p>Now, it is true that some teachers will provide you with a copy of the letter they have written. The fact that you may have waived your right to see it still does not mean that you cannot see it, if the teacher chooses. But if you waive your right of access, whether you get to see the letter becomes a matter of the teacher’s prerogative, rather than your right.</p>
<p>Thanks guys! Do any of you know how I can make a good impression on a teacher?</p>
<p>Seriously? Have you never been to school before, or something?</p>
<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC App</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>I know the obvious: participate in class, see teacher after school, focus, get good grades, etc… I’m looking for maybe some uncommon ways to really shine out in the eyes of a teacher.</p>
<p>Lose, I’m saying this as a teacher. You don’t need to be a once-in-a-lifetime student to get a strong letter from me. And you don’t need an extraordinary letter to get into college, either.</p>
<p>Now, it’s true you probably won’t get into Harvard unless your teachers check the box for “top 1-3%” or “one of the top few in my career” (or however that’s worded). On the other hand, you also probably won’t get into Harvard even if they do check those boxes.</p>
<p>Here’s my hang-up about getting into college: don’t be fake about it. Be who you are, and you’ll get into a college where you belong, and where you can probably be happy and successful. But don’t try to hoodwink me into thinking you’re the next Isaac Newton or T.S. Eliot if you’re not. Don’t make a conspicuous effort trying to “impress” me. Odds are, I’ll see through it, and think you’re a phony. Odds are, admissions committees will, too. But if you manage to pull one over on all of us, do you know what’s going to happen? You’ll end up someplace where you’re overmatched, or just poorly matched, and you’ll be miserable and unsuccessful. Of course, when you’re taking your junior and senior year classes, and when you’re applying to colleges, you’ll want to put your best foot forward. But when that foot goes forward, make darn sure it’s a foot you could stand on comfortably for the next four years.</p>
<p>Sikorsky, I understand what you are saying, but I have several, severe mistakes on my academic resume. I need to accommodate for those shortcomings in as much ways as possible. </p>
<p>Obviously, I won’t be conspicuously court my teacher’s approval, but I was looking for ways to enhance their recommendations.</p>
<p>So anyone know any ways to impress teachers?</p>
<p>Work hard, help other students, be a “glue” kid where you rally others to do well, genuinely be interested – but not many of these you can fake. Don’t be a sycophant like Sikorsky says.</p>
<p>You’ve been being evaluated since ninth grade. You’re not gonna fool too many people. Right now, the teachers and principle know in their minds, who are the top scholars and extraordinary kids. You can ask any of them and 4-5 names will constantly be repeated.</p>
<p>In my workplace, it’s very obvious the ones you want to be on your team or wouldn’t mind being your supervisor or your employee later on. Peoples’ characters come out in environments like the classroom or workplace. Not much more you can do to “impress” anyone, to be blunt. You’ve already been impressive or not.</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>What kind of school do (or did) you go to? I go to a rather large public school (over 3k) and I really don’t think that all the teachers know the leaders of the pack. It’s actually extremely rare for one person to get a teacher a second time in his/her entire school career (barring study hall and art/music classes).</p>
<p>Hey Loseyourself,
You should get to know at least one teacher, and one counselor. The counselor really did it for me. She wrote me great recs, helped me with applications, essays, and even helped me get a scholarship!
I developed a good relationship with her throughout sophomore year and junior year by going to ask questions once a month during lunchtime. She was very nice. They are there to help you, and they like the company!</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice, dchung88!</p>
<p>Does anyone else have any more advice?</p>