<p>I would REALLY love to tell this teacher off, for all the lies she's feeding to the underclassmen.</p>
<p>This is a foreign language class, and she lectures about how ONLY the top 5 kids have a small chance of going to an ivy, or top school. While we're writing an essay during class, she'll randomly start talking about how if you have a "3.5, 3.6, 3.7 or 3.8 you can never get accepted into an ivy".</p>
<p>This is somewhat directed at me too, since I have a lower GPA, but decided to apply to a "dream school". She says we have no chance, so we should stop wasting her time and giving her these recommendations to do. I really regret asking her for one, and just hope she turned it in, since the deadline is soon.</p>
<p>You would think that after teaching for 10+ years you'd learn that college admission isn't all about the numbers. I know I have a very small chance to be admitted, but I don't need her to remind me about my low GPA/chances.</p>
<p>I am considering sending an anonymous letter to her and sending a link to CC. Maybe then she'll see that people with low GPAs still have a chance to be accepted into top colleges.</p>
<p>I agree. I rly hate teachers that slam you rather than encourage you. And the whole tope 5 kids thing is wrong. There are some high schools that send at least 10% of their graduating class to ivys.</p>
<p>okay, she is misinformed. But she is probably trying to lower people's expectations. trust me-this is a more informed teacher than the <em>guidance counselor</em> who tells kids at my school (from rank 1-50/200) that they have a "great shot" at yale and princeton and not to apply to any matches or safeties.</p>
<p>very few schools send the top 10% of their students...unless you have a big hook or great SAT IIs, chances are slim</p>
<p>that said, i am 100% in favor of applying to any and all reaches...i don't see a downside to trying...just make sure you don't even vaguely count on them</p>
<p>Sounds like she's giving you a big hint to have a different teacher write your reccs. She seems very overworked and clearly doesn't have confidence in students like your getting into places like your dream school.</p>
<p>My 8th grade science teacher came from another county and told our class how she came from a county where their gifted students were going to Harvard/Yale/Princeton/MIT and how we were so far below them. Later in the year she came in and told us we were an "idiocracy." I realized later that technically means (in this case) "a class ruled by an idiot or idiots." She's in charge of the class lol</p>
<p>My calculus teacher is something like that. When I asked her to write a recommendation for a scholarship I was applying for, she said that she would have to compare me with people who were taking math at the local U this year and had been straight-A students all their lives (and until last year, I was straight-A myself.)----so basically, no to me.</p>
<p>And then someone who was retaking the first semester of the class.....and who barely passed the AP.......asked for a letter of rec, she said "Of course."</p>
<p>u definitely choose the wrong person for a rec. shes probably miserable that she didnt have the chance to go to a great school. anyways don't let her get u down, everybody has a chance. me and my friend both applied to wharton ed and he got in with lower SATs and class rank, no minority status, worse ecs and essays, etc... while i got rejected. there's a lot of luck in admissions and gl to u.</p>