Letters of recommendation...

[Nan in Mass]

I know I've asked this before, but I've forgotten the answer and I'm fuzzy on searching the new board.

 

It occurred to us that perhaps it would be a good idea to ask last semester's CC composition prof to write a recommendation letter for college applications, and that perhaps it would be a good idea to ask him now, while he still remembers my son. Is it too early? And how does this get done? Do we just ask him and give him a stamped envelope with the college's address? My son wants to apply early decision.

 

-Nan

[Sandy in Indy]

You might want to look at the apps for the colleges your dc wants to apply to. Many of them have a form they want filled out as part of the recommendation.

[Osmosis Mom]

We had a couple of letters of rec written 1-2 years earlier. When the time came, the letter shad to be sent directly in a sealed envelope so we corresponded with the people and they basically just re-wrote the date and mailed their letters in the envelopes we provided them with. We also had a letter written by a professor whom dd had taken a class with 2 years earlier, but who clearly remembered her. We enver saw that letter, though, but he mailed it in in record-time.

 

We also had several other letters of rec, open and attached at the back. Just because they were highly relevant and old a lot more about dd. But these were not sealed as they were extra's.

 

Did that help? Where is you ds applying?

[Nan in Mass]

We're going to have a similar mix. I just can't see asking a Buddhist monk who barely speaks English to write multiple copies of recommendation letters and mail them for me. They have more important things to do, like bring about world peace GRIN. I'm sure they'd be happy to do one and hand it to us, but I definately don't want to bother them by asking them for more. His CC comp professor, on the other hand, I'm sure will mail things as the college wishes. With luck, we'll only need to do this once. If he doesn't get in, then we'll be doing multiple applications to second choice places. We're also sort of waiting to see if his older brother is happy at the college and if he thinks it is someplace the younger one will fit in. I hope so. I'm all for brothers sticking together. I know the older one was willing to go to college because there was a good chance his brother was going to be joining him. Initially, anyway. As time went on, he developped his own reasons. Plumbing work is pretty slow at the moment, among other things. I'd rather not say where just yet. I'll tell you if he gets in.

-Nan

[Osmosis Mom]

Sounds good, Nan. I understand. If there is only one college initially then you could kindly, pretty-please ask the monk to send one copy in this envelope directly to the college (after you have a filem opened there) and another copy to you. That way he is only sending two letter and you have a lot more options.

[Nan in Mass]

That's a good idea. Two doesn't sound so bad. And if we do wind up doing multiple applications later, we'll just xerox and colleges will have to trust us. The letter is going to look rather exotic, anyway, with the calligraphy the monks always put down one side.