Help Choosing a Recommender for Cornell Early Decision!

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>This November, I will be applying to Cornell University early decision for science(most likely some form of biology, but I’m not quite sure yet). I’m starting to gather recommendations and just need 1 more as Cornell asks for 2 recommenders (my first one was a great recommendation from a Psych course I took at Cornell). I’m between 2 recommenders: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>My high school english teacher. I was one of her favorite students, I’m a great writer so I did excellent in her class, and she is a Cornell alum. I’m positive she will write a fantastic recommendation but the problem is, I’m not applying for English or Writing.</p></li>
<li><p>My high school Science Research teacher. He knows me well and likes me, but he’s very dull and bland as a person and I worry that will be evident in his recommendation. Science Research was a major part of my extracurriculars and I’m applying for science so this would be more relevant to my application.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>So what do I choose…the great but irrelevant recommendation or the possibly bland but pertinent recommendation? I know Cornell values recommendations highly so I want to be sure I pick the right ones!</p>

2

<p>So long as he says good things about you, I don’t think it matters if he’s bland in his wording, so I would go with the Science teacher since it’s the field your going into. </p>

3

<p>Uhh no. Bland wording = bland application. You want someone who can write this for you: <a href=“How to write good letters of recommendation | MIT Admissions”>http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Are you sure that your recommendation from the course you took at Cornell counts as a recommendation from a teacher and not an additional letter? I too am having a professor who taught me write a LOR, but I’m using his letter as an additional letter. I was under the impression that the “teacher recommendations” should come from your HS teachers.</p>

5

<p><a href=“my%20first%20one%20was%20a%20great%20recommendation%20from%20a%20Psych%20course%20I%20took%20at%20Cornell”>quote</a>

[/quote]

</p>

<p>I believe when Cornell says teacher, they mean teachers from your high school. I think you should ask both teachers for recommendations, and submit the recommendation from Cornell as a supplemental/additional letter of recommendation on the Common App.</p>

<p>And in case Cornell doesn’t work out, you’ll have 2 recommendations not specific to Cornell to submit.</p>

6

<p>I missed that. I fully agree with posters #3 and #4. Your Cornell psych instructor’s LoR will be the least valuable in your application. Why? b/c that person’s career isn’t teaching HS students. Top colleges want to see how you did in HS – how you affected your classmates, did you take initiative – not a college course instructor. That’s definitely your third supplemental rec.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the great info! As you guys said the professor at Cornell is probably a supplemental so I can submit both HS teacher’s reccomendations</p>