<p>Is it better to ask a teacher who knows you personally in an elective than a teacher who doesn't know you that well in a core class? Also, if I wanted to apply for a science/engineering major but my math and science teachers don't know me that well outside of my grades and my english and language teachers know me VERY well on a personal level, who should I ask? Basically, how much would it hurt me to ask TWO teachers not in math/science?</p>
<p>Your ability in Math/Science can be construed from your Subject test/AP/
school course scores or grades. You as a person cannot be constructed from
reccs form people who do not know you.</p>
<p>Think that over and see who you should ask for reccs if you want to provide
the adcom folks a reasonably accurate representation of who you are.</p>
<p>An alternative would be to provide a multi-page wirte-up providing points about
yourself to your math adn science teachers who do nto know you?</p>
<p>Sometimes this is not your choice. Some schools require a recommendation from a specific subject area teacher. My daughter provided a resume to anyone who wrote a recommendation because she only went to her high school (and it was not in the town where we live) for three years and had many activities away from the school. She also wrote a little paragraph explaining some things that the teachers might not know about and anything that the college/program/scholarship was looking for specifically.</p>
<p>On a related note, would it be wise to get recs from teachers of subjects in which I have struggled (ahem, Physics II) instead of classes in which I have excelled?</p>
<p>When DD was applying to engineering programs we found that many required recs from math and science teachers. Tests and grades are of course important, but a teacher who doesn’t know you personally can still offer info about your work ethic, attention to detail, conscienciousness, whether you sought help, etc. As MD mom stated, you can always supplement the teacher’s knowledge of you with info you provide–i.e. VanillaSky has wanted to be a mechanical engineer since seeing his first Brio train set.</p>
<p>hm what if I ask a “science teacher” but she taught me in science research, not in the core subjects? or a math teacher who taught me 2 years ago?</p>
<p>I had a friend who got her best recommendation, by far, from her physics teacher. She is an english major at Reed, but worked extremely hard at physics and loved the class. She just wasn’t that good at it. She had a strong relationship with the teacher, and he was more than happy to write her one. It tell admissions counselors something if you’re willing admit a ‘weakness’ in some area, even if you enjoy it. Of course, I would also suggest another rec in an area that you’re solid in.</p>