I have straight As and good SAT scores but my APUSH teacher said that he will include my AP score on the APUSH exam (3) on his rec. I got an A in his class and had a really good relationship with him, so I don’t expect a huge disaster but will the score of the 3 affect my admissions to MIT?
I came to this country two years ago btw
Well, it depends on what he’s going to say. If he says you worked really hard and mastered the material but had trouble, as a non native speaker, with the timed exam, probably not. If he says that everyone got 3s, it would seem that the A in the class was not so impressive.
It would be cleanest if he didn’t mention the 3 and if you didn’t report it, but honestly, I am impressed with that result if you are ELL. If this is the angle he’s taking, I would not sweat it.
Not ideal. Is the teacher doing this because he wants to explain how the “3” does not reflect your true capabilities in the subject (not so bad) or is he just following some template he uses (not so good in a number of ways)? Does your teacher know that AP scores are not reported to MIT? For that matter, AP scores are also just self-reported scores for most colleges through the Common App. They will not require official reports until you are an admitted student and you desire credit or advanced placement for the subject. As a recent immigrant, do you have another teacher who knows you well that can speak to your growth in the English language (oral and written) effectively?
Yeah my AP english teacher. But I think it’s too late to say that I wont get a letter from my history teacher. I already even filled out his recommendation form…should I do so?
The MIT admissions site is not open yet, so you cannot submit anything there. If you are referring to submitting his name and contact as a recommender in the Common App, you will have an option at the time you submit to colleges to choose from your list of recommenders. So having him in the pool is better then perhaps “disinviting him”, but if you are close to the teacher, he may be willing to share in what context he is referring to the “3”. I would definitely get the AP English teacher to do a rec. Do you have a STEM teacher lined up? This is required by MIT (and most competitive schools like a balance of LoR’s writers, engineering/STEM schools and majors may require it).
Why on earth would the teacher do that? Many people say that collegs don’t factor in AP scores, but they are still going to see them. In your shoes, I would find a different recommender. I don’t think a three is the end of the world, but it seems petty. The rec is about who you are in the eyes of the teacher. If you are just your test score, I would not be happy with that teacher.
I might ask someone else too. Seems odd, the school can get the 3 from your self reported score, unless you were planning not to report it or send it?
I agree, that is unusual. If there is someone else who could provide a similar recommendation I might ask him/her.
Ask the recommender to not mention the 3. That is the best tactic. If he doesn’t agree, ask someone else for a letter.