Teacher recs,

Shani · April 28, 2005, 9:00am

I was thinking about which of my teachers to ask for recommendations and decided on two teachers who in my opinion know me best and have also taught me the most, so they are familiar with my academic background and aspirations.

Today I found out that other one of the teachers I asked for a recommendation will be fired due to cutbacks in my school district. Nevertheless, I believe that he knows me well enough to supply the needed information to the recommendation and I was wondering if it's still possible for him to write my recommendation even though he won't be working in the school anymore during the next academic year? He has taught me during all of the three upper secondary years, I have taken part in projects led by him and he really is one of my favourite teachers so I would love to have him write my recommendation instead of a teacher who doesn't know me as well as this teacher in particular does.

I'll take a gap year, so it wouldn't be as if I had another year of school where this teacher in particular won't be teaching me.

Thanks in advance!

Northstarmom · April 28, 2005, 9:26am

Ask the teacher to write the recommendation now and to give you multiple copies (which you also can use for scholarships and other opportunities) and put a copy in your file at your h.s.

enygma8 · April 28, 2005, 10:34am

Yes it is still possible. Have as much information as you can regarding where you'll be applying so that the teacher can make tailored letters for those schools/scholarships and give them to you. Also ask the teacher for a standard letter to put in your high school file. If your high school doesn't have a file (as mine didn't) then ask the teacher for multiple copies of their standard letter in signed and sealed envelopes and permission to copy the letter if the need arises.

Shani · April 28, 2005, 11:07am

I'm an international student, so I don't think the HS file really applies to me, it's going to be different for me than American students.

I have contact with the teacher outside of school, so it's not a question of me not seeing him so that he'd have to write the letters now so I'll get them. My question is that is it possible for him to write the letters even though he won't be (most probably) teaching at all, anywhere, next year? I am just worried that the colleges won't see the application as serious if he's not a teacher anymore.

Dima343 · April 28, 2005, 11:52am

Last year this happened in my school.

A great teacher was fired, she had promised a bunch of students recs. The next fall, she was willing to do them but the prinicpal didn't let her do it officially as a teacher of the school (on school stationary or with someone from the school signing off on it) so the students had to scramble to find someone new.

So be careful.

Shani · April 28, 2005, 12:03pm

I know my school would be okay with it, he's been a great teacher and my principal is pretty laid back with these kinds of things. Also, apparently, half of the teachers are really excited with my plans because hardly anyone from my school goes abroad to study because of the free university over here. (Come to think of it, I AM nuts, throwing away free university education...). So I'm only worried that it's not going to be okay with the colleges, but looking at it from a logical standpoint, it should be, right? He's taught me during all three years and has great insight concerning my upper secondary success, that's all that matters, isn't it?

ohio_mom · April 28, 2005, 12:30pm

Shani,
my son is also passing up a tuition waiver at the college his father works for, so you are not the only one who is nuts, lol.

If the teacher writes the rec this year, and puts copies on at the HS, that would be official. The teacher could also complete the Common Application page (and leave the college info blank), and file that as well. My son had teachers that retired before his senior year write letters his junior year, and put them on file.

As long as everything is cool next year, the teacher could do a more tailored rec and the specific some applications want. But in any case, your bases would be covered with the information on file.