<p>My chem teacher is writing my recommendations for me. I gave him my resume as he asked, all cover forms/eval sheets etc. Then about 2 weeks ago the envelopes for each college.
I gave GC my envelopes for transcripts etc last week. He said the guidance portion will be mailed tomorrow.
My actual applications are in or en route now.
I don’t want to seem obnoxious but would like to know if he has finished/sent his letters, if not when?
Admissions for the schools are rolling, and I am the world’s most impatient person, so the sooner all my info is in, the sooner i get a reply which is ideal.</p>
<p>Bottom line: I would like a status update but don’t want to approach it like “hey are you done yet, i’m waiting on you” </p>
<p>Here’s how I did it. I had given them all approximate deadlines as to when I wanted the stuff in by, so I just swung (swang? swinged? whatever) by their classes and gave them a friendly reminder that if they could have the rec out in the next week, that’d be great (this is a week before the informal deadline).</p>
<p>In your situation, it might also work to just swing by and say “Hey, I just submitted my application to X. Just thought I’d let you know!” or some variation on that. Basically, any way in which you can make it seem more like a status update than a nagging will work well.</p>
<p>I would write a thank you note. This reminds them (if they haven’t sent it!) and they will most likely mention something the next time they see you.</p>
<p>I gave one of my rec’ teachers a thank you note and the next day he brought me the draft of the letter for me to glance over before he sent it.</p>
<p>This is why I love my school. You give them a recommendation request form at the end of junior year, and you’re done. The letters are submitted to guidance and are sent with your transcripts. The only exception is if you are using the common app, because you then need to give the forms to the teacher. However, the system is so organized and goes directly through guidance, so I’ve never had issues like this.</p>
<p>you can also just go in and ask them if they have any questions for you or if they need any more information, you can come across as polite and most people would get the hint to why you are truly there…</p>
<p>and also 99% of the time this is one if those situations that seems all big and scary in your head and you start to freak yourself out but truely it is not that big of a deal when it comes down to it. When I went in to talk to one of my teachers I had a line all planed in my head and when I walked into the room before I even said anything he knew why I was there and answered my question without me even having to ask.</p>
<p>dvm258, that is how I wanted it to work. I had asked him the very beginning of the year… now in my head thinking great he has plenty of time, I’ll get my apps and essays all done by Thanksgiving, hand em over to GC and all done. But chem teacher prefers to mail things himself, blahblahblah. And he’s one of those teachers that won’t show you the letter. Hate that!</p>
<p>With the one teacher she didn’t see regularly any more, D tried to “swing by” but it never worked out to see her … D wrote a thank you note and tied it to a small dark chocolate candy bar and left it in the teacher’s mailbox. Seems to have worked!</p>
<p>i usually came by just to talk one day, and if they didn’t call me out on my bluff (teacher: hey how was your weekend? (10 mins later) yeah i know you came about your rec, dont worry i sent it), usually i come by the next day again to check on my rec. its fun to catch up w/ my old teachers and it helps to let them know i dont want to just talk to them for apps.</p>
<p>We did the postcards, with stamps. Got card from one teacher, the other sent an email when “all done”. Still, one of the schools (so far) said they didn’t get it.</p>
<p>Eh? If you’re comfortable enough to ask your teacher for a recommendation aka he/she knows you well enough. Is it that much harder to ask if it’s done?</p>
<p>My son gave his teachers the recommendation letters with addressed stamped envelopes the end of October. He has checked with them twice if they sent out the letters (the latest check yesterday) and they have not. His English teacher said he would send them out by the deadlines and the history teacher said the same. I don’t think I should get involved and I am hestitant to have my son go to the GC with this, as the GC just sent out the applications yesterday. Any suggestions? Thanks</p>
<p>I think you have received a number of great suggestions.</p>
<p>I work at a university and I write probably 100 letters each year for grad schools and scholarships. I tell students to remind me about a week before a letter is due . . . unfortunately, things can get lost or I forget . . . and they shouldn’t worry that I think they’re nagging me or something. </p>
<p>I’m grateful for reminders (I’d hate to be the reason someone didn’t get into grad school!) and I’m sure your teachers will be grateful too.</p>
<p>ottobar - I’m a high school senior and was just in the same situation as your son. I’ve got quite a few apps due Saturday (Dec 1) and went in to check on them yesterday (after having done so at the beginning of last week and being told that they’d be out by yesterday). They weren’t and my teacher assured me they’d be out by the deadline.</p>
<p>Rather than stress, I bought her a Starbucks gift card (she’s a big coffee drinker) and came back and said, “I have total faith that you’ll get these done in time, but it would really help take some stress off me if they could get out ASAP. I brought you this [gave her the card] to thank you for writing my letters. I really appreciate it!” She laughed and said she would take care of it.</p>
<p>Worked GREAT - went in this morning and she mailed em on her way home from school last night! I think most teachers understand the stress that we’re going through right now, so framing it that way (plus a little appreciation to get your letter to the top of their list) can really help out. Good luck!</p>