Counselor hasn’t submitted materials

[Anonymous]

It was very stressful in our house the days leading up to 11/01. DC applied to UMD and needed those rec letters by 11/01. He had to gently remind his teachers and thankfully they confirmed that they would get it done by the deadline and did submit them a day or 2 before 11/01. That was a huge relief for DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are different deadlines.

Also realize that LORs are getting done during evenings and weekends; teachers receive no break from their over-scheduled days to complete these letters, and many of us have 40-50 to write.

Counselors are meeting with and submitting materials for hundreds of students.

The work is getting done.

Most schools require teacher recommendation requests to be made last April and May so these aren’t last minute requests. Counselors should offer hours in August so they can get a head start. Our school didn’t start the counselor process until midSeptember which is crazy. My sympathy is limited given it is a known part of the job.

I’m going to correct this for you. No, recommendation letters are not part of my job. They are mentioned nowhere in my very detailed contract, not even by vague reference. I am fully within my rights to refuse every single request. I don’t do that because I have respect for my students and I want to help them achieve their goals.

And yes, perhaps requests are supposed to be made in May. I get many in September because students miss deadlines. And even if they are requested in May, I am literally not at work from June-August; I’m between contracts and unpaid. So you are telling me that I should write letters when I’m essentially not employed by the school.

We expect teachers to stretch to the limits for their students, working an absurd number of unpaid hours. And perhaps you have limited sympathy. Trust me, we know. And yet somehow we continue to give, give, give, give to ungrateful people because that expectation is, as you say, “a known part of our job.”

Sending all teachers genuine gratitude for taking on the college LOR job for it is such a significant one. There is obviously a problem with the overall process though. If it is not part of a teacher's employment contract, yet it is an annual demand on their time than the problem becomes between the school systems and their teachers. This is an issue that needs to be addressed.

But it is also unfair to the students who are directly told by their counselors to ask teachers for recommendations. The student is only doing what they are told and need to do yet they are getting caught in the middle of this issue. It isn't the students' fault. And if teachers agree to write a LOR and tell the student they will (and again, genuine gratitude given to those teachers that do), then those teachers should fulfill their promise in a timely matter which is really tough given how many other demands they have on their time.

Yes. The crux of the problem is that schools are not adequately supporting and paying the teachers and counselors, who are then strained to support the students to meet the demands of college applications. Everyone subsequently becomes stressed. Seems logical that teachers need to be compensated appropriately for this work. I don't know what the exact answer is - paying for year-round salaries, pay bonuses by the hour for letter writing? But it's unfair to everyone currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD submitted 4 EA applications by the deadline. She had asked two of her HS teachers last March (she showed me this via her Naviance account and indeed the date is there: March 8th, 2024). One of the teachers she asked did submit a recommendation for her on 10-30-24 and we are very grateful, but the other has yet to submit the recommendation.

My DD has politely reminded that teacher two times now and has spoken to her counselor. What else can be done? I am so frustrated for my daughter. She worked so hard to meet all of her deadlines (including asking her teacher for a LOR last school year), it is extremely unfair that this teacher has not met theirs.

Did the teacher actually agree to do the recommendation? Can she ask another teacher? How did the counselor respond?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD submitted 4 EA applications by the deadline. She had asked two of her HS teachers last March (she showed me this via her Naviance account and indeed the date is there: March 8th, 2024). One of the teachers she asked did submit a recommendation for her on 10-30-24 and we are very grateful, but the other has yet to submit the recommendation.

My DD has politely reminded that teacher two times now and has spoken to her counselor. What else can be done? I am so frustrated for my daughter. She worked so hard to meet all of her deadlines (including asking her teacher for a LOR last school year), it is extremely unfair that this teacher has not met theirs.

Did the teacher actually agree to do the recommendation? Can she ask another teacher? How did the counselor respond?

Yes, the teacher did agree to do the recommendation. And this teacher at the end of last school year saw my DD in the hall and told her that she will be working on her LOR over the summer which we thought was incredible given that it was her summer. DD followed up with this teacher 2x earlier this school year and the teacher said yes, she will do it. Nothing as of this moment on 11-4-24.

Can she ask another teacher at this late date? It seems unfair to that teacher but this is really crappy for a teenager to have to worry about if you ask me. My DD will be talking to her counselor again tomorrow (could not find him available today as he was in mtgs.) but it just seems like a situation that should not even occur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD submitted 4 EA applications by the deadline. She had asked two of her HS teachers last March (she showed me this via her Naviance account and indeed the date is there: March 8th, 2024). One of the teachers she asked did submit a recommendation for her on 10-30-24 and we are very grateful, but the other has yet to submit the recommendation.

My DD has politely reminded that teacher two times now and has spoken to her counselor. What else can be done? I am so frustrated for my daughter. She worked so hard to meet all of her deadlines (including asking her teacher for a LOR last school year), it is extremely unfair that this teacher has not met theirs.

Did the teacher actually agree to do the recommendation? Can she ask another teacher? How did the counselor respond?

Yes, the teacher did agree to do the recommendation. And this teacher at the end of last school year saw my DD in the hall and told her that she will be working on her LOR over the summer which we thought was incredible given that it was her summer. DD followed up with this teacher 2x earlier this school year and the teacher said yes, she will do it. Nothing as of this moment on 11-4-24.

Can she ask another teacher at this late date? It seems unfair to that teacher but this is really crappy for a teenager to have to worry about if you ask me. My DD will be talking to her counselor again tomorrow (could not find him available today as he was in mtgs.) but it just seems like a situation that should not even occur.

PP did you check when is the deadline for supplemental materials were for the schools you DD applied to EA? Hopefully, the schools have a later deadline for supplemental materials like LOR. I hope everthing works out. It's so stressful