Reply to Parents of Juniors - how is it going?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Now that mine are done - one in college, another heading to her ED college in the Fall - wanted to check in to see how y'all are doing.
Lots and lots of great information on this site.  
Is your DC planning visits, getting a feel for the basics like urban/rural/large/small, researching majors, deciding where/how to demonstrate interest, scheduling AO interviews if offered or finding out when those open, prepping for SAT/ACT, [b]asking teachers for LOR's,[/b] thinking about main essay and supplemental essay ideas, creating a resume, researching costs, getting a sense of where/what their admissions chances are etc etc
I wish you all the best and I know there are many on this site that feel the same![/quote]

Are they supposed to be asking for LOR's now (spring of junior year?)

My son knows of 4 schools he wants to apply to, only two require LORs--and both require two LORs.   Purdue (engineering) and Colorado School of Mines.

He has 3 teachers he is considering asking.   Does he just ask for a "generic" LOR that can be copied for multiple applications?

[/quote]

I would say start to plan which teachers to ask, and yes definitely ask them by late Spring.  They may not write them until the Fall, but it's best to ask early as teachers get swamped with requests, and some end up limiting the number they will write.
[b]No don't ask for a generic LOR.  (You will likely never see the LOR - they are meant to be confidential just between the teacher/counselor and the schools.  You counselor will send them to the schools, not you). [/b] 
Just the opposite.  The LOR plus the guidance counselor rec are critical pieces of the application.  AO's value what teachers/counselors have to say about a student, and not in a generic way.
Your DC can approach the teachers in person, ask if they would be willing to write a LOR for them, 
Your DC could then send a brief email thanking them in advance, and in the email talk about why the class has meant a lot to them, give an example or two of what resonated and why.  Teachers will likely include that so write it with that understanding.
AO's want to get a picture of who this applicant is, other than their stats.  How they are as a student, how they are valuable to the school/learning community.  LOR's help them see that.  
The more your DC can provide to the teacher, and also you as a parent (often via the "brag sheet"), the better.
If your DC applies to rolling admissions schools once the Common App opens on Aug 1st - most of them do not require LOR's or transcripts (self report) - heads up that you can do that and it feels great to have an acceptance early, sometimes even before the school year begins.
Good luck![/quote]

Thank you!

I guess by "generic LOR" I meant, specific to my son-but "generic" in that it could go to any college?
Since he knows he will need 4 total LORs (2 to Purdue, 2 to Mines--and it's still early, he might decide to apply to other schools and need more LORs) should he ask 4 separate teachers to each write one letter?  Or ask some teachers to write more than one letter (specific to the school?)    That just seems like a lot to ask of a teacher.
Or can he ask 2 teachers to write the "generic school/specific to my son" letter--the guidance counselor keeps that on file, and sends them out as needed for each application?

Thank you for any help, since I don't really know how this part works.[/quote]

He should ask two teachers to write LORs. They will know what this means (they will submit their LORs to your sons’s counselor who will then send them to each school he applies to).
AO’s do not have time to read more than two LORs, generally, so the no more than 2 is almost always the case. 
You don’t want LORs to be tailored to any particular school.  Teachers won’t have time to do this and it would get very confusing.  Sorry I missed what you meant by generic but yes you are right - they should be specific about your son but generic in the sense of not mentioning a college by name.  
As others have said, generally best to have two core teachers write them.  However some schools are flexible on this, so for instance if your DC has a great relationship with an AP Psych teacher as was mentioned - I might consider that.  Sometimes the best plan is to ask teachers who you feel will write the best LORs for you.  But check to see what the colleges wish to see. 
Also, it can be nice to have an additional recommendation to hold onto in case of a deferral.  Deferrals  in the early round to the regular decision round are very common.  Sometimes a school that defers you will allow you to submit an additional letter, for instance from outside of the school like the leader of a volunteer org your DC is involved with - you would send that in with your “letter of continued interest” to let the school know you wish to be considered. 
Good luck![/quote]

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