When I’m applying for colleges, is it required that I get a certain number of teacher recommendations? Or can I ask my robotics coach and my internship mentor for Letters of recommendation instead?
I think my coach/mentor will have a much better understanding of my capabilities than any science teacher will, since interactions in school are limited comparative to the hours I’ve put in outside of school.
The required recommendations, typically 2, should be from teachers who have taught you in core subjects in either junior or senior year. You are going to college for academic study so colleges want to get a handle on your academic engagement. It is possible to send a supplemental recommendation to many colleges, but I would limit it to only one and only do so if it is a strong recommendation which would give a different insight into you as an applicant.