My son is about to request letters of recommendation from two teachers at his IB high school. He’s definite about the HL Chemistry teacher, but he isn’t sure about which one to choose from: a) HL History of the Americas, b) HL English, or c) Theory of Knowledge. Although you’d all most likely say either a) or b), but it’s the Theory of Knowledge teacher that he hit it off really well all Junior year, so the question is whether obtaining a letter from the Theory of Knowledge teacher is safe or would it look weak since it’s not a core subject like English or History?
Pick c. I’m crious.
TOK is a core IB requirement, correct? I see no problem with that for a rec. I think a rec where the teacher really knows and likes the student are best, bonus points if that teacher is a great writer/communicator as well.
Pick C. ToK is a legit academic class, and the teacher who knows and likes him best will write the best rec letter.
One thing that hasn’t been brought up yet is that every student asking for recs should ask the teacher(s) whether they can write a positive letter for you. This is always appropriate, phrased politely of course. For example, “Am I a student you would write a strong letter of reccomendation for, or do you suggest I ask someone else?” Don’t argue or question why if the answer is ask someone else, simply to thank the teacher for their honest answer.
While it can be uncomfortable for a student to ask a direct question like this to a teacher I would never assume a teacher will write a positive rec. I know someone who was on the alumni scholarship committee for a well-known U and they regularly received letters of “rec” for the full-tuition scholarship that raked the kid over the coals. In “The Gatekeepers”,in which a NY Times reporter followed the admissions committee at Wesleyan for a year, is a real-world example of a bad rec. Obviously when the student asked for a rec she assumed it would be positive, but here is what she got:
This could have been avoided if the teacher had been asked if they would write a strong rec. The student did not get in.
I agree with you, although this step shouldn’t be necessary. The ethical position for the teacher is to demur if they can’t write a positive rec. Saying “yes” indicates that the teacher wants to recommend you, after all. It’s really inappropriate for teachers to agree to recommend a student and then fail to do so. Really disappointing that some teachers out there don’t get this.
Thank you all for the comments. They’re very helpful. I’ll see if my son can diplomatically and subtly ask whether the teachers are willing and commit to writing strong letters.
Keep in mind that some colleges are very specific about which teachers should write recommendations, so check their websites.
Re: the example of a bad recommendation
As a for instance, if a college requires a recommendation from your junior year English teacher, the student wouldn’t have much choice.
I’m not aware of any college with such a ridiculous requirement.
Well, maybe not quite that specific, but here is what Kenyon wants:
“We prefer the recommendation be provided by an instructor who taught you in a year-long, traditional college-preparatory course in your junior year.”
For heavens sake, I was merely suggesting to look at specific college requirements or recommendations as part of the decision making process. And noting that a student may have limits as to who to ask.
Yes, that’s good advice.