Rec - teacher vs someone else??

Transfer Students
1

<p>I’m in a delimma. I have 4 rec spots to fill for my application, and I need to pick those 4 from a list of 6. I’m applying to UVA for the engineering school, and i’m at a top 20 engineering school right now.
Currently, I have a rec from: my high school GC, a high school calc teacher of two years, and my advisor from college who was also a prof last semester for my engineering class.
Now, I have three options left for the last rec:
1-my calc teacher from last semester: we didn’t have a huge amount of personal interaction outside of class, but she saw my homework weekly, and we often talked during class. She wrote me a rec for a math dept position, and it must’ve been really good, because i got the job and was one of two freshmen to get the job. Its a tutoring position at our math center, and its highly sought after, and I beat out any upperclassmen.
2- SGA advisor: we’ve only had a few one-on-one contacts, but i’ve worked closely with the lead student in the SGA, and he agreed to talk to the advisor and give him info on my participation in SGA. This would be a good one I think simply because its a rec from someone other than a teacher.
3- Math Center Boss - she’s not a very friendly woman, but we get along and she likes me. The job is REALLY slow right now, so she’s been yelling at the workers (including me) about not talking and working, but i’ve been helpful when needed and have volunteered multiple times to work the testing area, which everyone hates. Again, its not a teacher rec but an employer, AND is relates to engineering and shows my math skills, but again, she’s pretty cold at some points.</p>

<p>Any advice on who of the last three choices to pick? I could almost use two, since my GC sent in her rec seperately with my HS transcripts, so I have 4 spaces to fill in email/address info, so I could fill all 4 and end up having 5 recs, since my HS GC rec is going to be the standard “oh this student is so nice and a great student and took hard classes and will do anything to succeed” rec.
Suggestions?</p>

2

<p>I’m a little confused by the “4 recs” you mention. Most transfer apps want two prof recs and want them from college profs, not high school.</p>

<p>Could you elaborate on the exact instructions UVA has given you re recommendations. Unless they specifically ask for the hs ones, I think you’ve got 3 strong uni recs and those are what I’d go with:</p>

<ol>
<li> your advisor/Engineering prof</li>
<li> your calc prof - it’s already a proven success from the job app</li>
<li> the SGA advisor</li>
</ol>

<p>The math center boss doesn’t sound so promising from the way you’ve described the situation.</p>

3

<p>They don’t really specify. The four are completly optional infact. And it doesn’t say whether you need high school or college, but my GC sent in her rec with the transcript, so it doesn’t really matter, thats already done.<br>
I was just thinking i’d include my HS calc teacher since I had her for two years, and UVa weights HS and college grades 50/50. I could also include those 3 college recs, and then get the HS calc teacher rec, and submit those electronically. That would leave my GC’s rec as an “extra” and a supplement to my transcript. I doubt they would care about an extra rec, and i’m sure they’d throw the GC one out if they feel its not necessary.</p>