<p>Does it matter what type of a teacher writes a rec. for you? For instance, my honors chem teacher knew me better than my AP Bio teacher but my chem teacher was a first year teacher, and maybe not as experienced. So would it be alright to have her for a rec. for the Science/Math rec. form?</p>
<p>I think that's okay-- more importantly, when did you have her?</p>
<p>My junior year. Same as AP Bio.</p>
<p>that's fine.</p>
<p>Has anybody looked at the form they want your guidance counselor to fill out on the application? I come from an incredibly over-crowded public high school, and I'm not sure my guidance counselor can even remember my name, much less comment on my sense of humor. Will this hurt me?</p>
<p>Colleges realize that individual attention from guidance counselors at large publics can be minimal at times. Don't worry about it. They aren't going to punish you for it. Think of it as an aspect of your application that will be neutral. Just make sure your teacher recs are good, and all you are fine.</p>
<p>I've got a question about recs. </p>
<p>Since UChicago requires one rec from eng/ss and one from math/science--none of my math teachers from 9-11th grade still teach at my school, and I don't even know if I could get in touch with them. Is it okay for me to get a rec from the teacher I'll have this year for math? She'll only know me for a few months, but I didn't have a science junior year so I don't have much of an alternative.</p>
<p>First see if your guidance dept. can help track them down. A rec from a junior year teacher will be much more informed than one from a senior year teacher and will benefit you more.</p>
<p>If I can't get in touch with him, would it be better to do my math teacher this upcoming year or my physics teacher this year who also had me for chemistry sophomore year? Or does it not really matter?</p>
<p>whichever one you end up liking more, I'd say. Have your GC write a note that your junior year teacher wasn't available for contact, or something to that effect.</p>
<p>Unalove,</p>
<p>Do schools <em>really</em> want to hear about "the AP English teacher moved" (to explain the B in class/5 on the AP was due to extreme difficulty of the course, not slacking -- or "I didn't take AP Chem due to a schedule conflict, not becaue I got a B in Honors Chem freshman year," etc.? </p>
<p>DS1's GC told us that she writes a one-page recommendation, and there are so many things she needs to include that it seems impossible to answer every conceivable question an adcom might ask when reviewing a transcript. I would also think placing this kind of nit-picking in the Additional Information section might be off-putting to an adcom, rather than letting the Bs stand on their own, for whatever reason they exist, and essentially taking the attitude, "&*%$ happens."</p>
<p>Re: recommendations -- get <em>enthusiastic</em> ones. If you can get one from a teacher who has seen you grow and mature over four years, go for it. DS's recs will be from teachers he had freshman year, but who have had him in additional classes and activities since then, and have been able to witness his personal development over time.</p>
<p>^ I'm wondering this, also. I didn't take Honors FST this year since it was at the same time slot as yearbook, and I was going to be the only returning staff member. And should I put it that the reason yearbook is really my main EC is because our staff only has like 6 people, so it's a lot more work...</p>
<p>I wouldn't want to feel like I'm making excuses, :)</p>
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whichever one you end up liking more, I'd say. Have your GC write a note that your junior year teacher wasn't available for contact, or something to that effect.
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<p>Thanks for the help!</p>