Ankur1521

I'm searching their site and can't find a box for it, so I'm assuming you don't. But I'm just making sure by asking here.

Columbia_Student

I think last year there was at least one letter from a teacher and one letter from a counselor.

cc411

Here is the instructions/checklist for freshman applications.
USC Undergraduate Admission - Freshmen

#2, Form 4 is the Counselor/Teacher Report (recommendation) that needs to be submitted. Just one is required but more can be submitted if you would like.
"If you would like more than one individual to submit a report, you may make copies of this form."

Ankur1521

Wait so it's paper only? My teachers/counselors can't do it online?

cc411

^That is correct- paper only.

Ankur1521

I'm sorry, one more question. Do teachers need to write anything about the student on there? Or is it just a fill in the box thing?

dma1748

I was wondering the same thing as your original post. So my application is complete if I only have the counselor form and no teacher rec? Is there a disadvantage to this?

Sorry for using your thread, didnt want to make a new one of the same thing.

Tepishane

Taken from the site posted above:


So, you need to send in at least one counselor/teacher report and at least one letter of recommendation. The counselor/teacher report is a fill-in-the-box thing, while the format of the separate recommendation letter is up to whoever writes it. The recommendation letter can come from anyone who is not your family/friend/neighbor/something-like-that, such as an employer, but I remember reading that USC prefers an academic one.

dma1748

Ahh. So the counselor could do both, and that would be all?

Tepishane

Mhm hm. :] Hopefully your counselor knows you a lot better than mine does me (which is hardly at all).

TellItToMe

wait I thought the counselor/teacher report was filled out by EITHER a teacher or counselor, not both?

madbean

All that is required is one rec letter--which can be from your counselor or a teacher. If I recall (my s applied to USC last year), the counselor filled in the form with the check boxes and also wrote a letter. But I would recommend you ask at least one additional teacher who knows you very well, loves you, and can give deeper insight into a different facet of your wonderfulness (!), since a lot of GCs don't know each and every kid well and their comments can seem bland or generic and you want specific and someone who really knows the real you. For this reason, you might also choose to have a special coach, music/art teacher, job supervisor, or community service supervisor write a rec letter. The idea is to have letter that support the things you reveal about yourself in your essay. It is NOT a good idea to send more than three at most, unless the major you are applying to requests it (like the SCA supplement). And it does almost no good, alas, to have an alum or prominent individual who knows your parents write such a rec. Don't bother.

However, it is now rather late in the game to make changes to rec letters for those who have applied for the scholarship deadline. Still, you have to make the best impression possible on the adcoms--so only send recs that are coming from teachers or supervisors who have worked with you extensively, and in different areas so they don't repeat the same sort of qualities.

Best of luck.

TellItToMe

Yeah I had one of my teachers fill out the form. There were some questions regarding class rigor, rank, (counselor stuff), so I think my teacher just emailed/talked to my counselor for those few questions. I gave the teacher a copy of my transcript too, so that probably helped.

princekarim

yes tellittome it is EITHER a teacher or a counselor report

for me, i sent in two letters of rec. both were teachers. I decided not to ask my counselor becasue, like madbean already mentioned, they don't really know you and wouldnt write anything that would help but make u seem very bland and generic. For me, my counselor hates me because i only see him when im in trouble for ditching school etc.

i asked one academic teacher who loves me and said he would make me sound so great. he didn't even make me give him a senior pro
and then i asked my journalism teacher..because i figured she would write well
and i had them fax it.
and there is a writing portion.

another thing you can do if you want to be able to read what your teachers wrote about you is tell them you're applying to say you're applying to one more college then you really are. and once you have the sealed envelopes ready to mail...take the one that you're not even applying to open it and read it.

edmandoo

Wait, so can my community college professor fill out both the form and write a letter? People say it's a bad move but this professor has been affiliated with USC and earned his master's there so I think he knows what USC wants.