I know that asking 2 STEM teachers or 2 humanities teachers is not necessarily harmful, but is asking 2 science teachers in different areas of science harmful? Some colleges such as the University of Pennsylvania explicitly state that they don’t want 2 teachers from the same subject area. I’m asking my Biology and Physics teachers; does this count as 2 teachers from the same subject since unlike other classes of the same subject, different sciences require very different ways of thinking?
I personally would avoid asking 2 science teachers, even if they teach two different concentrations. I understand that Biology and Physics are pretty different classes, but they are different concentrations of the same subject which is Science. Same goes with other thing like Algebra and Geometry or World History and Human Geography. They are different concentrations within a broader subject area. If Upenn explicitly states they don’t want 2 teachers of the same subject area I would pick one of your science teachers to write the rec and find another teacher that does not teacher a science class to write the other.
Is there no humanities teacher that you can ask?
@RMNiMiTz there is, but a letter from any one of my humanities teachers would be significantly weaker. My concern is not really STEM vs humanities (I’ve heard this doesn’t matter much as long as it’s not a requirement), but whether 2 science teachers are ok if they’re from different areas
Yes, asking a Bio and a Physics teacher IS asking 2 teachers from the same discipline: science.
They want you to prove that you’re well rounded; that you’re more than just a science kid. You need a plan B.
Any math teachers?
@RMNiMiTz Yeah, I have decided to switch one of my recommendations to my math teacher. Thanks for all of your advice 