"Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics, as demonstrated in your classroom. We welcome information that will help us to differentiate this student from others." - The Common Application Teacher Evaluation form
If you have a son or daughter applying to college this fall, you may well have read this prompt recently. Many colleges, particularly if private and/or competitive, require teacher recommendations as a part of the application process. Recommend-ations present opportunities for teachers to share insights gained directly from interacting with and observing the student in and out of class; teachers need not waste time or space on lists of students' activities, which appear elsewhere on the application. Colleges hope for candid assessments and especially appreciate anecdotal support of points being made.
Tipping the scales
In selective admission environments, teacher recommendations can exert a major influence on decisions. They allow admission committee members to separate the diligent students from budding scholars and the unmotivated students from those willing to work hard. Recommendations provide insight about students' relationships with classmates, their curiosity, their study habits and personalities. In short, they enable admission officers to acquire a better understanding of each applicant and determine whether or not a student is a good fit for the college environment in question.
Yet, what a tall order for teachers these recommendations are! Imagine teaching a full day's classes, then going home with hours worth of papers to grade and class preparations to do. On top of all that, students (and colleges) want teachers to write cogent, thoughtful recommendations. You just know your child is hoping that those recommendations will be written on a teacher's good day.
How many, and from whom?
Does your child have relationships with at least two teachers who could write favorable evaluations? Some colleges are satisfied with one recommendation, but a number of colleges request two, from teachers of academic core courses (English, mathematics, science, history, foreign language) who know your child as a student and as an individual. Ideally, they will be teachers from 11th and/or 12th grades; otherwise, the recollections will be too distant and thus less valuable in the application review process. Admission committees want a current snapshot of the applicant.
Many students and parents wonder about the etiquette of requesting teacher recommendations. I encourage students to approach teachers in a questioning way, rather than assume that they will feel willing and able to write positive letters. Students can discuss their college plans with favorite teachers, teachers who know enough about them to provide a valuable perspective, and then ask if those teachers would be willing to write positive letters on their behalf. Students should stay away from teachers who don't know them well enough to write more than a hollow letter.
Common courtesy suggests having these conversations with teachers at least two months in advance of application deadlines. Some online applications provide streamlined ways for teachers to upload their recommendations; if paper recommendations are called for, students should provide a stamped, addressed envelope for each college so teachers can mail forms directly.
Insider's tip: students who waive their rights to access the recommendations at a later date give colleges confidence that what they read has credibility and is not written to please the student.
Begin with the end in mind
In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey writes about beginning with the end in mind. Prior to senior year in high school, have your child look at the Common Application Teacher Evaluation form and think about the recommendations he or she hopes to have submitted for college applications. Would these dream recommendations be an accurate reflection of classroom behavior and academic experiences thus far, or does your child need to think about making some changes? As parents, help your children understand what colleges consider important and why, and offer guidance in setting and achieving goals. The teacher evaluation form is a great teaching tool for parents in this regard and can motivate some students to redouble efforts in school. Not incidentally, it is also vitally important to college admission committees' deliberations.
Jane S. Shropshire guides students and families through the college search process. Send questions or suggestions to JShrop@att.net or visit Shropshire Educational Consulting, LLC at www.ShropEd.net.