Teacher Recs

<p>Hey CCers, esp those who got into Yale and have read or know what their teachers wrote for their recs,</p>

<p>I was just wondering...what kind of things do teachers write for you in their recs and what is considered as an excellent teacher rec? </p>

<p>Most importantly, for the "Ratings" part (the tick-box chart with personal/intellectual quantities), did your teacher give you mostly "Outstanding (top 5%)"? Do excellent students (esp those admitted to Yale) usually get mostly the "One of the top few encountered in my career" ticked or is this it considered to be a great recommendation just to receive a few of this rating ticked?</p>

<p>THANKS!</p>

<p>My guess is that the boxes depend on the school/teacher but it is the letter that makes the biggest difference. I would bet that accepted students are all at the high end but doubt that admissions considers the difference between the highest and second highest box too seriously. While checking a box is somewhat arbitrary, the letter offers insight into the student.</p>

<p>Well the way I see the teacher recs is that they have to complete and confirm the qualities you have already implied in your essays. That way the admissions officers can see that what you have stated is confirmed with an outside source. This gives your application a lot more credibility.</p>

<p>For instance, if you write an essay about how you love to discover things and that is your passion in life and the reason you want to become a scientist; then your recommendation from your science teacher should say something about how you like to challenge existing theories and always dig deeper. The recs and the rest of the application must COMPLEMENT and RE-ENFORCE each other. Hope this helps!</p>