<p>I changed schools junior year and so I didn’t get to know the teachers who are writing me recommendations very well. I’m worried that since the letters probably won’t say that I’m the highlight of their careers (like every other ivy league applicant), I’ll look like a mediocre student in comparison. The rest of my resume is good. Will this completely ruin my chances or will it just hurt a little?</p>
<p>so you’re having your senior year teachers write your recommendations?</p>
<p>i’m no expert on this, but would it make more sense to have your junior year teachers write them, even if they’re at a different school (can you do that?)</p>
<p>I’m having two of my junior year teachers write them. I meant to say I moved just before junior year started</p>
<p>bump 10char</p>
<p>For Ivy League schools and the like, recommendations are another chance for you to stick out among the thousands of other qualified applicants. A mediocre recommendation will hurt you just by not helping you.</p>
<p>I have a different view of this. I don’t think a mediocre review will hurt you that much. In fact, I don’t think a glowing rec will help you all that much, either, unless (1) the adcom knows the recommender and knows he doesn’t give fulsome praise to everybody or (2) the recommendation contains some specific information about you that makes you look good. If you’re an adcom, why should you be swayed by a recommendation from a teacher you’ve never heard of at a high school you know little about telling you that Joe is the finest student of his career? For all you know, this teacher may say that about everybody. Similarly, if you get a recommendation that says, “Joe is a solid student,” you can’t know whether that’s the best this teacher says about anybody.
I think a BAD recommedation might hurt you, especially if includes specific bad information about you.</p>