<p>So both my friend and I hand a rec to our teacher (we're both intl. students studying abroad).</p>
<p>Now for common app there are a bunch of boxes with various boxes with stuff like personality, humour, academic achievement etc. Both of us happened to glance at our boxes as we got them back and we both noticed that all our ticks (EVERY SINGLE ONE) were placed in the final box (one of the best in my career).</p>
<p>Now if you were an adcom and you recieve two such recs, from students at the same school, from the same teacher, both of which profess that this student is among the best ive ever met in EVERY field possible, would you be suspicious? I know I would.</p>
<p>So what im basically asking is, do you think that theyll pay any attention to it at all? Would they simply see it as that the teacher really likes us both (which is true, but I know I, at least, definitely do not live up to his portrayal). The plus side is I know we'll both get very solid recs from our other teachers and counsellor (although idk what they are - they were careful with their recs) so it may be that they may accept this teacher's rec to some degree. Would it perhaps (w)Rec(k) my chances at a top school?</p>
<p>If you had in your hands, a perfect rec, likely unjustified, would you use it?
Or if, we were to use them only to diff universities, would they be taken at face value if they were actually unique? What would you do?</p>
<p>What's most important is the narrative. That's where one can make the real comparisons.</p>
<p>its not your job to recommend yourself...if you asked someone to evaluate you, and the did, then leave it at that...maybe they see something you should start to see in yourself...as northstarmom said, they'll likely pay more attention to the narrative</p>
<p>haha nice pun.. i like</p>
<p>There will always be teachers that tick off the highest category. That's why schools like seeing letters from the teacher.</p>
<p>The thing is, i actually have 4 recs to choose from for the common app. So, if you were me, would you pick the honest rec from a teacher that knows you quite well (and teaches you for the subject youre planning to study at college), but wont make you look particularly amazing. Or take this rec which probably reads like a generic superstudent rec and may even convey nothing individual about me. </p>
<p>I am applying to a bunch of ivies and i do have the numbers to back it up. My other references are probably excellent, as the counsellor (especially) and other teacher know me quite well, so they may accept it as part of the set, but then again there is a risk that the last teacher may write a weak impersonal rec as he doesnt know me as well.</p>
<p>Perhaps its still better to use this "perfect" rec though...</p>
<p>And if you know your friend is applying to a college hes set his heart on (youre applying as well, but not as bothered if you dont get in), would you use this rec, and possibly dilute its value for both involved, to that college as well? Would a large college even notice given its massive applicant pool?</p>
<p>you're looking wayyyy too much into this...if you're THIS worried, put however many you can on the common app and just send the others to the school directly...otherwise, stop worrying about your friend, send your best in, and just forget about it...youre teacher rec is not oging to make or break you, as long as neither says that you: lie, cheat, steal, are a crappy person, dont do your work, are unsucessful, will be unsucessful in college, or are just a bad person all around...</p>