<p>FOr my math/science recommendation, would a statistics AP teacher suffice??</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter which class the teacher taught you, it’s how well they know you. My math/science rec was from my astronomy teacher. I had taken half a semester at that time of his class, which was one of the easiest science classes in the school. So it doesn’t seem like it’d be a good rec.</p>
<p>However, he was also the school’s planetarium director, and I had worked with him the past few years, putting in a lot of time and being a huge help. He knew me very well, and had seen the work I was willing to do, so I’m sure it was about as good of a recommendation as you could get. Bottom line, yes, it can suffice.</p>
<p>I’m not 100% sure this is true. Ben has said before that if you use a stats teacher to make sure that he or she mentions that you’re good at calculus too.</p>
<p>Personally, when I applied to Caltech, I included a reference from my band director (back then, in 1999-2000, you had to submit 3 recs: 1 math/science teacher, 1 English/social studies teacher, and 1 supposedly of your choice). She had known me for years and knew me better than any teacher in any subject, so I thought she was a good choice.</p>
<p>I was deferred EA, and when I called up to see what I could do to improve my application, the office said “well, we really expected to see a math or science teacher” for the third recommendation. I slapped my forehead wondering why they didn’t just ask for that if that’s what they really wanted, sent in a supplemental recommendation from my physics teacher, and got in regular.</p>
<p>I’ll refine my post, maybe make it more clear what I was trying to say. If you’ve done a lot of work with your stat teacher, such as a major research project, or if he or she was the head of your math club that you were heavily involved with, yes, it would work. Otherwise, if she/he was just a stat teacher, that probably wouldn’t be very strong seeing as how ap stat is not a very difficult class.</p>
<p>Right. While you should certainly choose the teacher you know best, try to think through what the choice of recommendation might signal and make sure to correct any negative impression. For example, if the science rec turns comes from an environmental science teacher who taught you for one quarter in an elective, we might wonder why you didn’t pick a teacher who teaches the hardest classes you’ve taken… what does that suggest?</p>
<p>Of course, there are often superb reasons for asking someone who isn’t the typical AP Calc or AP Phys teacher – maybe you did a long summer research project with said environmental science teacher. But make sure he or she says that, and mentions something about your abilities in more traditional courses. The idea is that there aro often good reasons for deviating from the beaten path, but without explanation you can seem like you’re avoiding something. So make sure the latter possibility is ruled out. One way to do this easily is also just to ask for a supplementary rec from your calc or phys teacher. A third rec doesn’t really overload the application, and the teacher can confirm that you are good at the bread and butter, even he or she doesn’t know you all that well.</p>
<p>Can college professor’s recommandation substitude for high school teacher’s? Or it can only be an extra??</p>
<p>Well, can i just give the recommendation to my Calculus BC teacher even though she has only known me for about a month or so. I have maintained a 98 in her class, so that is bound to show her i am a good student.</p>
<p>Any unpassionate person can have no life, study, and get a 98. Though I’m not saying this was you, you need a teacher that can show that you were passionate to a degree that a 98 alone does not show. Its more an enthusiasm thing than a success alone thing, as far as I have heard.</p>
<p>If Caltech wanted to know that you can do well in math, they look at your test scores and grades. From the letter of recommendation, they want to know more what kind of person you are. Someone who’s known you longer will be probably able to write something that means more. It takes more than just a “good student” to get into Caltech.</p>
<p>I think I’ve missed it, but who do our teachers send the recommendations to?
I can’t find Caltech’s mailing address on Common App Teacher Evaluation form, and as for web-site, <a href=“http://admissions.caltech.edu/contact/[/url]”>http://admissions.caltech.edu/contact/</a>, it says for prospective students only</p>