<p>School cultures are so different! I’d heard horror stories here so I nagged my son to ask teachers before school was out junior year. Both the teachers (Math and APUSH) he asked said sure, but remind them in the fall. The history teacher had a set of questions for everyone - including everything from what score did you end up getting on the AP to what was the most valuable thing you learned in my class. The Math teacher wrote a beautiful letter about how my son didn’t just memorize formulas, but really understood the material. He did ask again in early September as he was applying EA to a couple of colleges.</p>
<p>Another option, if your daughter is applying to any colleges that require two letters of recommendation or if she thinks that the one from the math teacher would be lukewarm, is for your daughter to go to her sophomore year social studies teacher.</p>
<p>Teachers who teach 10th grade classes often receive far fewer requests for letters of recommendation than those who teach 11th grade classes do. And if your daughter mentions that she wants to major in history but that the 11th grade history teacher is overloaded and is not accepting any more requests for recommendations, the 10th grade teacher would understand why he/she is being asked.</p>
<p>Another possibility is a foreign language teacher. Some students avoid them because a very few colleges do not want recommendations from them (they want one recommendation from an English or social studies teacher and one from a math or science teacher). Therefore, foreign language teachers may receive fewer requests than other teachers do. However, the vast majority of colleges, including many highly selective ones, will accept recommendations from ANY academic subject teacher, and foreign language counts as an academic subject. My daughter got one of her two recommendations from a Spanish teacher and got into an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the teacher may not feel positive about the LOR – and, more likely, at this point in the semester, she is probably earning less than minimum wage per hours worked, and is saying a healthy no to additional, non-remunerated work.</p>
<p>We haven’t been told to direct our juniors to ask for LOR’s during the end of the junior year. (Mine are rising seniors.) Is this a real problem? Can they just ask in the fall?</p>
<p>Pizzagirl–if your kids are in a large class, it might be a good idea to ask now. I think when my daughter was a junior, she asked for letters. However, I know other letters had to be requested later. For example, some schools want a teacher from the major you are declaring if you are declaring a major. I think Chicago wanted one math or science and one English/social science. So once the application list is narrowed, additional letters may be required.</p>
<p>Dad of 3–public schools don’t have any requirements about teachers writing recommendations, as far as I know. It’s not part of their contracts, that’s for sure. It is an extra that teachers do on top of their jobs because the kids need it. It wouldn’t be the guidance counselor’s job to make that determination. Usually it is the English teachers, who are already the ones grading a million papers, who get asked the most. I don’t see how schools could “allot” time for writing recommendations exactly because the time teachers have to write them is on evenings and weekends. Also, some teachers write really good ones and some teachers are just not good writers (or maybe teachers), so you wouldn’t want to get stuck with a recommendation from them. </p>
<p>Having said that, I honestly don’t understand why a teacher would not have time to write recommendations when they have the whole summer to do so. Although it would be nice to get some of the requests early on, I believe my DH does most of his during the fall. It does seem harsh to me to be turned down by two teachers!!</p>
<p>There ought to be a dossier service for college applicants (similar to those offered by colleges for graduate school admissions) where teachers could file their letters electronically in a secure manner and the applicant could pay a per-application fee to have the letters sent out to various institutions. Does anyone know if such a service exists? It would save teachers who are asked to write many recommendations a great deal of time and make it more likely that they would be able to accept requests without getting burned out.</p>
<p>To JRN mom, my heart goes out to you as you and your DD (dear daughter) learn the hard way through this process. I’m sure that “I’d be glad to write…” response would have come, but asking on the last day of school is never advised. It’s an exhausting day for all teachers. Hopefully she can think through those steps now that her summer has started and realize that there are plenty of steps to take and they all benefit from advance planning.</p>
<p>At the colleges: research, research, and more research. Look for specific programs, consider a variety of choices (size, location, public/private, LAC or nat’l uni, a girl’s college, etc.) before you tailor down the list. </p>
<p>When you visit: on a class tour, sit in a class, and go to an info session. Spend the night if you can. Ask about interviews. On campus are better IMHO, because she might get to speak with a college rep, but alum are important too. Demonstrates interest. Some colleges REALLY want to visit.</p>
<p>Special weekends: some colleges host special weekends and these are lots of fun and again demonstrates interest. </p>
<p>Other requirements: test scores. All done? Sure she’s done the SATs, if needed?</p>
<p>Essays: those can definitely get done this summer. Don’t wait until they’re due in the fall. Take a look at the supplemental essays required at most colleges too.</p>
<p>Scholarships: absolutely critical. Research here, for college-specific, and national/regional/local. There’s money out there if you look. Be sure to file the FAFSA on time.</p>
<p>Sign ups: explore Naviance if your school provides that, register for common app. (Aug 1st).</p>
<p>At HS: be sure to work with GS, who will be writing a LOR. The more she knows your DD, the better. Even if a formal LOR is not written by a favorite teacher, you might want to ask teachers to provide your GC some anecdotes via an “informal” LOR. This would be much easier for teachers to do (especially because they won’t have to deal with paperwork and constant requests for copies), yet extremely helpful for your GC who will include those in her/his LOR.</p>
<p>Update the “brag” sheet with complete list of awards, jobs information, leadership positions, ECs, community service, and sports. She’ll refer to this as she completes the common app and other applications (for scholarships?).</p>
<p>This is just the beginning of a year of lots of paperwork. The more you do in stress-free times, the more prepared you are overall. Then, no surprises or disappointments.</p>
<p>PS, although there’s a lot of paperwork and deadlines, the common app has saved tons of secretarial work. No more “stuffing envelopes”. The entire application will probably all be online.</p>