[iamstellar!]

hello! I'm asking my teachers for recommendations for college. However, what exactly do you have to give them. I know you have to give a stamped envelope.....but what else? Do we supply the paper? spanks a bunches.

*side note: good luck to all 2006 seniors

[The_Jin]

Your teacher should not need paper. In fact, your teacher should have all the supplies necessary except for the stamped envelope; the envelope should already have the address written on it IF your teacher does not know where to send it.

Also, be sure that your teacher seals it. He or she can do this by using a long stretch of tape, sealing the envelope; this tape should be signed by your teacher to ensure that you do not read it. (If the college you apply to thinks that you read it, they may assume that you came back to the teacher to edit it... that's not good o.O)

Otherwise, you should do dandy! =)



By the way, the teacher that you choose should probably be someone you get along with and know very well. Choose wisely; pick someone who'll brag about you.

[HoO8MyRiCe]

can you get counselors, principles, and more than 1 teacher to write recommendations for you?

[hyerim07]

This is what I did for recommendations.

Print out the actual recommendation form, include your resume, include a copy of a your transcript, stamped envelope, and separate list of the school name/deadline of application. Put everything in a manila folder and be sure to give it to your teacher EARLY. And afterwards don't forget a small gift/thankyou card.

It might seem like a lot, but it's worth it.

And yes, you can get more than 1 person to write recs for you, but check with the school your applying. They may only want 1.

[HoO8MyRiCe]

^ Then how the hell do we know which one to send if we arent "allowed" to look at the letters?

[The_Jin]

^ You send whichever letter was written by the teacher you KNOW will write good stuff about you. If the teacher doesn't know you that well, all he or she will say is, "Oh, this kid got an A in my class.." etc. But if you took the time to get to KNOW your teacher, he or she will have a lot to say.

THEREFORE, you ask the teachers/counselors/principals who know you best. Get people who you KNOW will brag or say good things about you.




With regard to how many letters you should send, you should aim for more. The more the merrier! Evaluators of your application will look at your grades, your extra-curricular activities, and what others say about you. The more they can get about you, the better. =)

[hyerim07]

^ Then how the hell do we know which one to send if we arent "allowed" to look at the letters?

You'd only ask the teacher/counselor to write it if you're SURE you'd want them to send it

[icyangel]

i was wandering....
let say u need to get recommendation letter for both colleges and scholarships.. can you use the same teacher.. like.. get a copy of the teacher recommendation letter that was written for college and use the same one for scholarship also?

[hyerim07]

i was wandering....
let say u need to get recommendation letter for both colleges and scholarships.. can you use the same teacher.. like.. get a copy of the teacher recommendation letter that was written for college and use the same one for scholarship also?

No. For the sake of respect, you're not supposed to see what the teacher writes in your college recommendation so it shouldn't really come into your hands. Just give them the scholarship recommendation section along with the college recs and even if it's copying the exact same thing, let them do it.

[lilshinhwafreak]

Can you even do that?
I know the teachers at my school just send in the letters of recommendation without showing the students.

Thats why they ask for stamped and addressed envelopes.

I think you should check with your teacher and see they really are going to return it to u

[MONICA]

^ yup. they want the TRUTH about you. if the teachers knew you would be looking at them, they might not write honestly what they think about you to the colleges. plus, you shouldn't worry about what they say about you because you're supposed to ask the teachers who you're almost 100% sure that they'll write good stuff about you.

[hyerim07]

That doesn't sound right. I photocopied several "teacher recommendation forms" and handed them around to almost all the teachers I had. I'm going to pick and choose which ones to send.

They're not going to give it back to you. Trust me, I went through the application process.

[The_Jin]

That doesn't sound right. I photocopied several "teacher recommendation forms" and handed them around to almost all the teachers I had. I'm going to pick and choose which ones to send.

I'm following the advice of my college counselor.

I've already recieved 4 back.

Let's see, let's see... for the most part, colleges ask that you do NOT see your letters of reccomendation. If you can see the letter, it may mean that you came back to the teacher and asked them to edit it OR some letters were left out (presumably the not-so-great ones). This is not good.

The letters of recommendation are used to give a testimony about who you are without the influence of YOU, the person they're trying to find out about. That means that they want EVERYTHING you ask for; YOU cannot pick and choose which one to send.

If you want to brag about yourself, you put that in your resume or in an interview (granting that you have to go through an interview process, which is usually saved for medical schools).

If you ARE picking and choosing anyway, then yay for you... don't let them find out. If the college is actually recommending that you pick and choose, then fine.. pick and choose.

HOWEVER you should ask first: "Can I pick and choose?"

[iamstellar!]

^ word. my guidance counselor said the same thing. Thats why I'm NOT not choosing nor seeing my letters.

[HoO8MyRiCe]

Hope you guys suck up to your teachers, lol.

[The_Jin]

theres an option that says whether or not you can see the reccomendation that the form has...

An option? Where? o_O Have I missed something?

Hope you guys suck up to your teachers, lol.

LOL, and suck up hard!!

[luvelyasian]

i got two teacher tecommendations, one let me read it and then she sealed it and signed her name on the envelope-- but it was a very mediocre 'recommendation'-- she mentioned i watch anime to learn japanese

the second one was mailed to me over the summer, wasn't sealed but is a great review and i'd rather use this one.. but can i just photocopy them and send them to schools?
i don't want to bother her with asking her to send them out for me.. it seems a bit rude.. but is this necessary?

and would i be able to buy the envelopes that seal it? and go over her signature in ink so college ppl won't notice? o.0