<p>I'll explain. One of my teachers who I'm asking for a recommendation doesn't use the online system that (literally) every other teacher at our school uses, so she writes things down, photocopies them, and gives the required forms to my counselor for as many colleges as I am applying to. I had her photocopy four at first for the colleges that I was sure of, and when she gave them to my counselor my counselor told me that she was missing some forms, which she (my teacher) then promptly added when I told her of it. </p>
<p>Now I am asking her for four more for the rest of my colleges, but it is getting close to my school's deadline (they won't do anything over the break, which starts Friday) and so all of the counselors are submitting transcripts and recs and things such as that that they do through their office now. My counselor is pretty swamped, so she is no longer thoroughly checking everything and is just assuming everything is in order. </p>
<p>Basically, my question is if my teacher ended up forgetting some forms again, and my counselor sends those uncomplete recs, will colleges notify me, even after the deadline, to let me know that they need more forms? Or am I SOL once the deadline is passed? I am of course sending everything else that is within my control on time. </p>
<p>The colleges aren’t populated by deadline nazis hoping to shred or delete your incomplete file. If anything is missing, they’ll pursue either you or the school for the docs. These will continue to trickle in well into Feb and March. Remember, they want to admit you.</p>
<p>Alright thanks T26E4, that’s very reassuring! </p>
<p>Also, I have one more question. Is it a detriment to use the paper/physical recs when my school is listed on CommonApp as using the Naviance eDoc system? Currently all of my colleges are showing the school forms section as incomplete because my other teacher rec was done online, but this teacher’s rec (the one mentioned in my original post) wasn’t. </p>
<p>Will that ever update once they get my teacher’s paper recs? Do colleges have a way of clearly documenting that one of my recs is a paper rec, or is it possible that, after reading all of the recs/essays/whatnot, while considering holistically the list of applicants they may skim down the list of completed applications and forget that one of mine was paper, and only see it as incomplete? Or if the college only requires 1 rec, they may think my application is complete without the paper rec and therefore don’t get the opportunity to read a recommendation from another perspective?</p>
<p>Sorry if these are stupid questions, I’m just freaking out a little bit about college!</p>
<p>We had this same issue last year with my S. He had one teacher sending her forms via Naviance/Common App. online, and another teacher was sending the forms via snail mail. Supposedly Common App. will update the online account once the paper forms are received at the college, however this never happened with my S’s account (never “showed up” as you are asking). It was Brown U. actually --the file showed complete on Brown’s login site, but Common App. never updated it as received. So thet long answer to your question is, yes, Common App. may still show as “incomplete” for the teacher rec forms. It’s annoying, but just trust the college’s own status on your file. </p>
<p>As someone already told you, the college will generally contact you for a missing teacher rec, however you need to login and check your own application status --don’t wait for them to contact you in other words. Once they give you your application login number/password, then check the status and see what forms they show as missing. If that particular teacher rec continues to show as missing into January, then do contact their admissions (via email) and see if you need to have her resend them. Your application and supplements MUST be sent by deadline, however, it’s ok to have teacher recs rolling in just a bit past deadline (sometimes they give an additional amount of days, and sometimes you have a couple weeks, so look at each colleges website on application instructions). Same is true for SAT scores, it’s ok if they come in just a tad past deadlines.</p>
<p>And just to answer the last part of your post, they will not read your file until it’s complete, so do not worry about them reading your app. and wanting to admit you, but then tossing you out when they see there isn’t a second rec in your file. That won’t happen. They will wait for a complete file (from their own status, not common apps.), then they will read your entire file and make their decision. It can take weeks! There are thousands of applications for sorting and filing, so you do have a little time to get in missing material. Try not to worry :)</p>
<p>The secret known by many: for colleges with early Jan deadlines, if by latter part of Jan or early Feb, your file is still incomplete, they usually will send you a notice by mail that tells you what is missing, that you need to get it in quickly, and if you don’t send it quickly you will be declined admisison. In other words, despite a Jan 1 deadline, you get a second chance.</p>
<p>In this case, I would strongly recommend your double checking (either on the College’s web site) or by calling the admissions department and finding confirming that your file is complete (i.e., the teacher recommendation is in).</p>
<p>Though many colleges will tell you that your application is complete, all will not. Essentially, it’s your responsibility to make sure your application is complete. If a school does not tell you and then rejects your application, there is nothing you can do about it.</p>