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I accidentally requested an extra teacher recommendation?? damage control please?

canicollegecanicollege Registered User Posts: 16 New Member
edited September 2013 in College Admissions
I wanted to apply to Columbia but I was looking at the graduate admissions instructions so I wrongfully thought that I needed 3 teacher recommendations. So far I know one teacher has finished theirs and I don't think the other two have started. Is it okay to go to a teacher that has not started and ask them to not write one?
Also the teacher I really wanted a rec letter from is probably the one that hasn't started for sure. Since I asked my art teacher for the extra one would it be okay to use that one to send to art schools and use the other two to send to "regular" schools?

help. please. thank you..
Post edited by canicollege on
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Replies to: I accidentally requested an extra teacher recommendation?? damage control please?

  • T26E4T26E4 Registered User Posts: 24,274 Senior Member
    Sure. Just contact the teacher and say you didn't need his/hers, thanking them profusely. They'll be happy not to have to do an extra one.
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  • canicollegecanicollege Registered User Posts: 16 New Member
    But the thing is the two teachers that haven't written them yet are the best at writing?
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  • billcshobillcsho Registered User Posts: 18,405 Senior Member
    Some schools would allow an additional recommendation from an art teacher. You should check the requirement for teacher recommendation. Sometimes, it is not just the number of recommendation but the subject and even the school year that are somewhat restricted. For instance, some schools want 2 teachers from 2 different core subjects in junior or senior year. Again, each school would have a different requirement. These information are not listed in the CommonApp as it only shows the number limit. My D actually asked 4 teachers and we just assign them to different schools according to the requirement. One school actually allows 4 so we assigned them all.
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  • canicollegecanicollege Registered User Posts: 16 New Member
    Do you happen to remember which school?
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  • billcshobillcsho Registered User Posts: 18,405 Senior Member
    Stanford has the 2 different teacher from junior or senior requirement. UMich allows up to 4 teacher recommenders. It does not matter which school I am referring to. You definitely should check the schools you are applying.
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