Rising senior: Is it too late to ask a teacher for a recommendation letter?Answered
Last spring I asked my biology & history teacher for recommendation letters, but now I heard that it's best to ask at least 3 teachers (for supplements?). I want to ask my calculus teacher for the third one because I thought I wanted to go as a biology major but then I changed to a major related to math. Would it be too late to ask teachers during summer break?
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2 answers
Some teachers do email back during the summer, so I would at least give it a try! Also, with school starting relatively soon, they will be more likely to start checking their email.
Good luck with your applications!!!
This answer is a bit late but may help someone else:
- It is nice to have recommendations from certain subject teachers, but they do not necessarily have to correlate to your major. As long as they can attest to how you are as a student, individual, and thinker, the letter of rec will be just as valuable. Especially if you are close with a particular teacher or they think of you highly, they won't fail to note some of your achievements if you inform them of anything that needs to be included.
- My school required these 'Brag Sheets' for students to put their academic accomplishments, college/career-related writing prompts and questions for them to understand where they're headed, and any personality notes (ex.: sports team experience, small business, hobbies, interests, etc.) Maybe use your resume and any other brag sheet templates to note info about you that the teacher/recommender can incorporate into their letter.
- It. Is. Never. Too. Late!: If they were your teachers, they would understand you as a student. I'm sure they understand that you can get busy. Don't feel like you're convincing yourself at all! If they have the time, they will let you know. Try to keep in mind the deadline of the letter so that they have enough time to work on it, though. Summer break may be a bit difficult, but usually, teachers aren't away from their desks immediately after the end of school because of wrapping up tasks or prepping for professional development for the upcoming summer/fall plans.
Hope this helps.
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