Letters of Rec--still not done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

I am sorry those kids didn’t give you adequate info. My son gave his teachers materials at the end of the school year and checked in at the beginning of the school year and again a few weeks ago just to make sure they didn’t need anything else. Still neither have submitted them.

+1
My daughter did the same - all materials were in this summer and has double-checked everything. Neither the counselor nor teachers have submitted. Or maybe they have (?) but the Common App says not submitted.

[Anonymous]

OP-
DC was in the same spot as you...teacher submitted it sometime this evening (we checked around 4pm and nothing and then just now and it was submitted)...I'm guessing they are all just slammed and will use every minute they have to get these done. Have faith and good luck to you child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

I am not a teacher. In fact, I have a kid still waiting on a Recommendation. But give me a break. If the students didn’t fill out the paperwork the teacher needed on time, and didn’t submit the CA link on time, then no, it isn’t on the teacher to come up with 40+ recs out of thin air. And, although I’m anxious about my kid’s outstanding rec., I also realize it’s not late until 12:01 on 11/2. So, I’m just not checking until Tuesday morning. My kids part is in. That’s the important part.

If it is indeed late, we’ll contact the teacher and counselor on 11/2 and deal with it. But, my kid asked for recs last spring and filled out brag sheets before school ended. And invited the recommenders through the CA in early August. And sent a brief, “I wanted to let you know I’ve decided to apply ED to W&M, so my first college deadline in 11/1. I really appreciate your willingness to take the time, etc…” email a month ago. So, she did her part.

The college application is your kid’s responsibility . Not the teacher’s. If your kid doesn’t do their part, you don’t have a lot of room to expect the teacher to do theirs before the actual deadline.

[Anonymous]

Its fine. It will get there before the deadline. This is where the counselors earn their paycheck. They will keep a tab on it and they will also make sure that the teachers will submit it in time and that they will give strong recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me that others are facing this...one of the teacher's LOC hasn't been completed yet. Yes, I know they have until November 1st...Yes, I know they are slammed (and I love and appreciate all the teachers out there)---it's normal for them to have to do a ton the last weekend, right?

Can I ask why you think it's not done?

It usually takes a few weeks from them being received to show up in the colleges systems. So, if you're not seeing it there it doesn't mean anything. It has to be received by Nov. 1st not processed by Nov. 1st.

And I would point out that many teachers, especially if it's a current teacher, would wait until after Q1 grades to finalize these so they can comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

I am not a teacher. In fact, I have a kid still waiting on a Recommendation. But give me a break. If the students didn’t fill out the paperwork the teacher needed on time, and didn’t submit the CA link on time, then no, it isn’t on the teacher to come up with 40+ recs out of thin air. And, although I’m anxious about my kid’s outstanding rec., I also realize it’s not late until 12:01 on 11/2. So, I’m just not checking until Tuesday morning. My kids part is in. That’s the important part.

If it is indeed late, we’ll contact the teacher and counselor on 11/2 and deal with it. But, my kid asked for recs last spring and filled out brag sheets before school ended. And invited the recommenders through the CA in early August. And sent a brief, “I wanted to let you know I’ve decided to apply ED to W&M, so my first college deadline in 11/1. I really appreciate your willingness to take the time, etc…” email a month ago. So, she did her part.

The college application is your kid’s responsibility . Not the teacher’s. If your kid doesn’t do their part, you don’t have a lot of room to expect the teacher to do theirs before the actual deadline.

Just to be clear 11/2 isn't when it needs to appear in the portal. It takes time for college to process these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP-
DC was in the same spot as you...teacher submitted it sometime this evening (we checked around 4pm and nothing and then just now and it was submitted)...I'm guessing they are all just slammed and will use every minute they have to get these done. Have faith and good luck to you child.

It doesn't change to submitted the moment the school submits. It changes to submission after someone in admissions looks at the submission. Which, at this point, could be days or up to a couple weeks.

[Anonymous]

Pre Covid my kid had the university they were applying to contact them (kid) to tell them the recommendation hadn't been turned in. It was after the ED deadline. My kid had asked the last spring if teacher would write a letter and teacher agreed. Kid had to ask teacher what was up. "My mom was in accident this summer and I didn't get around to it." My kid still got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

Wow! Are you always this obnoxious in real life. Keep harassing the teachers and your kid will end up with a crappy recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

Wow! Are you always this obnoxious in real life. Keep harassing the teachers and your kid will end up with a crappy recommendation.

Recommendation letters are explicitly part of a counselor’s job. They are not actually a listed and required task for teachers. We don’t have time set aside to write letters - it’s on personal time (or we do it during planning, but then use personal time to plan and grade.) Teachers agree to write letters because they get to know kids and want to help them, but are not obligated to. Some teachers don’t write any, some will only do the first 10 who ask, some will only write for kids they know well, some will write for almost everyone except the entitled kid with entitled parents like PP.

Everyone understands that this is a stressful time for students. But don’t dump your anxiety on people who are trying to help you out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

Wow! Are you always this obnoxious in real life. Keep harassing the teachers and your kid will end up with a crappy recommendation.

Recommendation letters are explicitly part of a counselor’s job. They are not actually a listed and required task for teachers. We don’t have time set aside to write letters - it’s on personal time (or we do it during planning, but then use personal time to plan and grade.) Teachers agree to write letters because they get to know kids and want to help them, but are not obligated to. Some teachers don’t write any, some will only do the first 10 who ask, some will only write for kids they know well, some will write for almost everyone except the entitled kid with entitled parents like PP.

Everyone understands that this is a stressful time for students. But don’t dump your anxiety on people who are trying to help you out.

I totally get the teacher perspective and am grateful because I know they already have a full time job. My beef is really with the colleges because it is a really crappy system that someone puts these kids in a terrible situation. DS friend has 2 B's in all of high school and 34 on ACT and had three teachers say no - they didn't know him well enough to recommend. IT WAS COVID and 50% of boys are shy with teachers -- what were they going to schedule extra Zoom meetings with the teachers, 16 year old boys, yea right. This is really a weird dynamic at a large public high school to have to get multiple teachers to write recommendations --- there is only one AP World History and Calculus BC teacher in the school. Stupid IMO. Test optional should have been test and recommendation optional

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

I am not a teacher. In fact, I have a kid still waiting on a Recommendation. But give me a break. If the students didn’t fill out the paperwork the teacher needed on time, and didn’t submit the CA link on time, then no, it isn’t on the teacher to come up with 40+ recs out of thin air. And, although I’m anxious about my kid’s outstanding rec., I also realize it’s not late until 12:01 on 11/2. So, I’m just not checking until Tuesday morning. My kids part is in. That’s the important part.

If it is indeed late, we’ll contact the teacher and counselor on 11/2 and deal with it. But, my kid asked for recs last spring and filled out brag sheets before school ended. And invited the recommenders through the CA in early August. And sent a brief, “I wanted to let you know I’ve decided to apply ED to W&M, so my first college deadline in 11/1. I really appreciate your willingness to take the time, etc…” email a month ago. So, she did her part.

The college application is your kid’s responsibility . Not the teacher’s. If your kid doesn’t do their part, you don’t have a lot of room to expect the teacher to do theirs before the actual deadline.

I’m the PP here. Following up to say DD got an email from her teacher a half hour ago telling her she had just submitted the recommendation. Sure enough, there it is in the common app. So both teacher recs and the counselor recs are in. The Orchestra teacher’s rec is not. But, that’s entirely optional from the college’s perspective, so I’m breathing easier. If it hasn’t posted in the CA by lunch tomorrow, DD will send an email.

This is my second kid, and kid 1 had a rec post at 10pm on 11/1. Keep the faith.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me that others are facing this...one of the teacher's LOC hasn't been completed yet. Yes, I know they have until November 1st...Yes, I know they are slammed (and I love and appreciate all the teachers out there)---it's normal for them to have to do a ton the last weekend, right?

Can I ask why you think it's not done?

It usually takes a few weeks from them being received to show up in the colleges systems. So, if you're not seeing it there it doesn't mean anything. It has to be received by Nov. 1st not processed by Nov. 1st.

And I would point out that many teachers, especially if it's a current teacher, would wait until after Q1 grades to finalize these so they can comment.

I assume the OP was asking because a lot of applications (ED/EA) have a November 1st deadline and you can track whether teachers have submitted LOCs via Naviance or other systems- I don't think it takes any time at all for them to show up there...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP-
DC was in the same spot as you...teacher submitted it sometime this evening (we checked around 4pm and nothing and then just now and it was submitted)...I'm guessing they are all just slammed and will use every minute they have to get these done. Have faith and good luck to you child.

It doesn't change to submitted the moment the school submits. It changes to submission after someone in admissions looks at the submission. Which, at this point, could be days or up to a couple weeks.

This is not my understanding...I think there are three statuses in Naviance: 1) Requested (after the student asks the teacher for the LOC); 2) In progress (after the teacher uploads the LOC) and 3) Submitted (once the school submits it)....i don't think there's anything that that the school does that changes these statuses...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my students didn't get me the information I requested and only sent me the common app link in the last few days.
It's the end of the quarter and I've spent every evening grading and am not finished.
What do they expect?

Here's the difference: they're kids and you are an adult. Doing these recs is an important part of your JOB. It's not ok to have kids stress out all weekend wondering if the adult in the process has completed their work. Sounds like passive-aggressive teacher "I'm in control" BS. Teachers should have their recs in.

Wow! Are you always this obnoxious in real life. Keep harassing the teachers and your kid will end up with a crappy recommendation.

Recommendation letters are explicitly part of a counselor’s job. They are not actually a listed and required task for teachers. We don’t have time set aside to write letters - it’s on personal time (or we do it during planning, but then use personal time to plan and grade.) Teachers agree to write letters because they get to know kids and want to help them, but are not obligated to. Some teachers don’t write any, some will only do the first 10 who ask, some will only write for kids they know well, some will write for almost everyone except the entitled kid with entitled parents like PP.

Everyone understands that this is a stressful time for students. But don’t dump your anxiety on people who are trying to help you out.

I totally get the teacher perspective and am grateful because I know they already have a full time job. My beef is really with the colleges because it is a really crappy system that someone puts these kids in a terrible situation. DS friend has 2 B's in all of high school and 34 on ACT and had three teachers say no - they didn't know him well enough to recommend. IT WAS COVID and 50% of boys are shy with teachers -- what were they going to schedule extra Zoom meetings with the teachers, 16 year old boys, yea right. This is really a weird dynamic at a large public high school to have to get multiple teachers to write recommendations --- there is only one AP World History and Calculus BC teacher in the school. Stupid IMO. Test optional should have been test and recommendation optional

I agree--my (very shy) DC was remote all last year. Barely knew teachers. Still asked two teachers for recommendations last spring like they were supposed to. Guess what? One of those teachers didn't return to the school (along with half of their other 11th grade teachers)...so had to scramble...choice was to ask one of their current teachers (who they have only had for a couple of months) or go back to 10th grade teachers (many of whom have left and those who are still here may or may not really remember them).