<p>On CC, when people ask for chances, they would usually say that they have "EXCELLENT/AMAZING/GREAT" recs. I was wondering what they are actually like. Do they mean the teachers checked off the "one of the best in career" or "oustanding" parts? And very detailed, long, etc. letter?</p>
<p>Mine are
1)all excellent (check box)/very detailed and long essay about me (talks about my background too and how she's impressed with me overcoming lang difficulties etc)</p>
<p>2)all outstanding (check box)/very generic and short essay about me (like enthusiastic, hardworking.</p>
<p>I have several schools to which I must submit just ONE teacher rec. And, I can't decide which ones to send because one checked off so-so part and wrote a pretty good letter, while the other checked off the good part and wrote a so-so letter. </p>
<p>The letter is the main part of the rec (although you don't want the checkmarks to be bad, either). The letter should tell a story that backs up the generic stuff that the letter is going to say.</p>
<p>How do you know what comments a teacher writes? In my kids' high schools, the teachers send the letters directly to the colleges; the kids don't have a chance to read the letters. They chose teachers who they thought would give them the best recommendations, but do you ever really know??</p>
<p>Yes. Some teachers allow their students to read the rec. However, most teachers require that students agree to waive their right of acess and will never see their letters (colleges save it and if you didn't waive you right you have access.) some teachers dont mind showing students their recs though.</p>
<p>whether or not you get to see the letters (outside of seeing it straight from the teacher/guidance counselor themselves) depends on whether or not the college itself saves recommendation letters after matriculation. the policy varies from college to college.</p>
<p>my teachers all decided to show me their letters, so it didn't matter much to me. :]</p>
<p>legitimacy is right. if it's not waived, readers might have reason to believe that the teacher isn't telling the full truth or something along those lines.</p>
<p>At my school you are not required to waive your right to see the recommendations, though it is highly recommended by the counselors. Like everyone said, it shows that you have confidence in the person writing the recommendation, which you should.</p>
<p>None of my teachers showed me the letter; I don't know anyones who did. One told me "after reading this, they can't not accept you" so that sounds amazing! They send it straight to the school (so guidance never sees it except for the guidance counselor rec which is stupid cause the gcs dont know the students at all) and, while we aren't required to waive our rights, it's recommended (to show you trust them and to make them more comfortable with writing the truth). I've heard though that the waiver is only through college, as in if ten years from now the college still had my info I could go read the letters. I do wish my teachers had shown me the letters, though!</p>
<p>The counselors basically require us to waive. The difference in legitimacy, we're told at our school, is extremely significant. They implied that a letter without the rights waived means next to nothing.
Not to scare you or anything. It could all be melodrama.</p>
<p>In any case, I know a few people have been shown the letter after it was sent.</p>
<p>I was kind of wondering what defines an amazing rec.</p>
<p>One of my recs (that my teacher allowed me to read even though I waived the right) was EXTREMELY glowing about my academic ability/intelligence/talent in the subject area, but she made only brief reference to my personality. She checked "top few of my career" for every box. How good of a rec is that?</p>