For those who say their kids have great letters of recommendation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know? Are you allowed to read them? At DD's school they go straight from the teachers into Naviance or to the school without our seeing them. I have mixed feelings because of course we'd like to know what they say, but can understand that teachers need to be able to be candid.

BTW, DD got into her preferred school ED, so I have no complaint about not seeing them. This is just a question I've thought about when I see posts that mention great recommendations.

For both of my kids, their teachers emailed them the rec letter asking if they had anything else they wanted the teacher to highlight.

[Anonymous]

My DS chem teacher mailed him the letter first and then submitted it to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We told ours if you want to go for a top 20 school, you're going to need two good teacher recommendations.

You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but if you do want a chance at these kinds of schools, you're going to need this. Choose the teachers by junior year. Obviously do well in those classes. Be bright. Be kind. Be curious. Make sure you have a rapport with the teachers.

But it's up to you.

Both in top 20 schools now. And I do think the teacher recs made a difference.

You have absolutely no clue. First, you never saw the actual recommendations. Second, you have no idea how much the admissions committees at the colleges weighed them. Why do people spew out such bullshit as if it’s fact?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid goes to a private school where there are less than 3 As given in most classes. If my kid gets one of those As plus has a good relationship with the teacher (goes to office hours several times per week) I assume the rec is good.

There is no private school in America that gives less than three As in a class on average. Full of baloney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child's AP Lang teacher emailed him a copy of the letter. It was the teacher's last year before retirement and perhaps that had something to do with her choice to share it with him when they're not supposed to. It was very nice to be able to see it.

Your child waives the right to see the letter, but nothing prevents the teacher from sharing it voluntarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We told ours if you want to go for a top 20 school, you're going to need two good teacher recommendations.

You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but if you do want a chance at these kinds of schools, you're going to need this. Choose the teachers by junior year. Obviously do well in those classes. Be bright. Be kind. Be curious. Make sure you have a rapport with the teachers.

But it's up to you.

Both in top 20 schools now. And I do think the teacher recs made a difference.

LOL no.
But you keep living in lala land.

No college admissions even reads those they are check boxes. Period.

I am familiar with college admissions at selective schools--the committees read the LoRs and they matter. They matter the most when you get to the round where you are in the pile of maybes and the committee has to find reasons to cut you or put you forward. Everything matters then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We told ours if you want to go for a top 20 school, you're going to need two good teacher recommendations.

You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but if you do want a chance at these kinds of schools, you're going to need this. Choose the teachers by junior year. Obviously do well in those classes. Be bright. Be kind. Be curious. Make sure you have a rapport with the teachers.

But it's up to you.

Both in top 20 schools now. And I do think the teacher recs made a difference.

One of our DCs ended up choosing a teacher who had barely tolerated them when they were a flailing freshmen with undiagnosed inattentive ADHD and anxiety. They were assigned the teacher again for a competitive English essay class as a junior in COVID. We wrung our hands, as did DC, but stayed out of it. DC nailed the class and the teacher told them, when they asked some months later to write the rec letter, "In all my years of teaching, I've never had a student make such dramatic improvement. It would be an honor."

[Anonymous]

I have no idea if my kids have great LOR but a couple teachers have asked them to fill out a questionnaire specifically for the teacher rec - it asks things like what you thought you did well in that class, what your favorite project was, anything in particular you'd like the teacher to highlight. I would assume those LORs are stronger than those without it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid goes to a private school where there are less than 3 As given in most classes. If my kid gets one of those As plus has a good relationship with the teacher (goes to office hours several times per week) I assume the rec is good.

There is no private school in America that gives less than three As in a class on average. Full of baloney.

Uh, my kid is in multiple classes like this right now.
15 kids: 3 A, 3 A-, 3 B+, 3 B, 3 B-

This is a very typical grade distribution.
Actually right now my kid's history class is more like:

1 A, 3 A-, 3 B+, 3 B, 3 B-, 2 C+

[Anonymous]

My kids' teachers all shared the letters with them before submitting to the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid goes to a private school where there are less than 3 As given in most classes. If my kid gets one of those As plus has a good relationship with the teacher (goes to office hours several times per week) I assume the rec is good.

There is no private school in America that gives less than three As in a class on average. Full of baloney.

Uh, my kid is in multiple classes like this right now.
15 kids: 3 A, 3 A-, 3 B+, 3 B, 3 B-

This is a very typical grade distribution.
Actually right now my kid's history class is more like:

1 A, 3 A-, 3 B+, 3 B, 3 B-, 2 C+

I see we’re a little obsessed, eh?