asking for recommendations - Page 41

sstewart · 08-08-2009, 04:18 PM

Ok well I have two teachers that are going to write me recs and also my guidance counselour, but I want to ask my boss* at work to write me one also. Should I??

*Btw my boss got into harvard and yale when he was in high school. He had a weighted GPA of 4.3, ACT of 28 and tons, I mean tons of leadership positions. He rejected harvard and yale though because he was extremely poor and no matter how much aid he got he could not afford to go. Instead he took a full ride to a school that was in state.

dchow08 · 08-08-2009, 05:37 PM

A recommendation from your boss is fine as a supplemental recommendation, as long as he doesn't simply restate what your teachers will probably say. Your boss's recommendation should not count as one of your teacher recommendations.

sstewart · 08-08-2009, 06:04 PM

yeah he is just doin it from the employee perspective

Millancad · 08-09-2009, 07:37 PM

Maybe I should write this on the Study Abroad subforum, but I'm wondering about asking my teacher for a UCAS recommendation. At a limit 4,000 words, it's supposed to be longer than most American recommendations, so I want to ask her as early as possible, perhaps on Tuesday when I go back to school, because it's due on October 15th for me. Is that enough time for her to write it?
Another thing is that she has to predict what grades I'll get. She taught me Art History, and I got a 5 on it, got A's on every project, every test, the highest grade in all of the classes on many, so I don't think she's have trouble predicting my grades in the Social Studies APs I'm studying next year. Art History is a writing heavy subject, so she probably knows my abilities well enough in that area to predict my English scores, but I'm taking two science APs, the Math II Subj test, and Chemistry subj test. I don't now if she could predict those scores. I was thinking of giving her all my College Board scores from Junior year. So, my PSAT, my two SATs, my AP scores, my 3 SAT Subject tests in World History (taking the AP next year, so it'll probably be helpful), Math II, and English. Is it okay to not give her my ACT scores? I'm generally horrible at the ACT and I don't think they're representative. My first time around at the SAT, my scores were wonky too: my Writing score was 150 points lower than both my PSAT and my second SAT. Is that a good way to go around UCAS recommendations? She's one of my favorite teachers, perhaps the best I've ever had, so I want her to write me some American recs too and I don't want to mess up on this one.

archi92 · 09-05-2009, 11:52 PM

I have a question here,

I've transferred last year and I don't know that much about the teachers and neither do they know me that well. My art teacher likes me a lot but I'm not sure about the others. Moreover, our school doesn't have a lot of projects so I couldn't approach anyone with a solid achievement and make them brag about it. Is there anything that could be done in this case?

T26E4 · 09-06-2009, 07:17 AM

Are you a Junior? A Senior? I'd surely have someone or two from your old school write a LOR.

holy mackerel · 09-07-2009, 08:01 PM

I posted this in a separate thread, but it might see the light of day in here.

How much do additional recommendations help in the admissions process? Specifically, would they help for an Ivy League school? I plan on getting the required teacher and counselor recs, but I also would like to add one from my private art teachers and pastor.

aleeson · 09-09-2009, 08:12 PM

i am closest with my APUSH teacher and my AP English teachers, but i am not very close with any of my math or science teachers, although i do perfectly fine in math/science. should i just just go with the 2 humanities teachers or just ask a math/science teacher to make it seem more balanced?

Ohboi · 09-09-2009, 11:01 PM

This might sound dumb, but I've never understood this. When you ask for a recommendation, do teachers write one for a specific school or do they write a general one that can be sent to several schools? I'm applying to 9 schools, so I don't want to have to ask for recommendations for each of them.

kiterunner18 · 09-17-2009, 11:33 PM

I have a question... does AP Psychology count as an "academic subject?"

A1eK · 09-20-2009, 09:51 PM

...should I give a copy of my HS transcipt to a teacher who is writing my recommendation??

squidoop · 09-23-2009, 11:20 AM

^ probably not, they usually want to look at your extricurriculars a lot more than your academics at school.

I was thinking of making stuffed animals as gifts after my teachers are done with their reccs... but I think it'll be too girly for the male teacher, haha.

archi92 · 09-23-2009, 09:08 PM

To T26E4,

I'm a senior but I not really sure how would I contact my other teachers in my previous school because none of them know English.

To Holymakerel,

Thanks for the advice, I should post this somewhere else. However, I not applying to any ivy leagues but only ucs and lacs.

Prism · 09-25-2009, 08:27 PM

I went with science and social studies even though I'm majoring in Business. Nothing wrong with that I hope?

areyoubennn · 09-26-2009, 02:56 PM

First off, start talking to your professors more frequently. Get to know your professors outside the dynamics of student/teacher. They aren't superhuman, they're human too. Just chat it up with them for a bit. Do it on a genuine note tho, this isn't to manipulate them. Sprinkle questions that you have for the course in there. Do well in their course. After the semester is over ask if they need a TA/Tutor. Professors are always looking for TAs/Tutors. If they don't need a tutor, simply ask them when chatting them up. Professors are professors because they WANT to HELP the STUDENTS SUCCED. In other words, they will do everything in their power to tip the scale in your favor; so long as it doesn't conflict with their morals. (ie. You got a C in the class and expect a Recommendation. )