OnMyOwn Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 I have input the name and info of one of my sons references and then was able to add this reference's name to two of my son's college applications, but not the third. Is there a two-college limit for references or am I doing something wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 (edited) No, there is no two college limit. You can have the same recommender for all schools. ETA: But perhaps there is a limit for how many recommenders that particular school accepts, and you have already filled it? Edited September 16, 2017 by regentrude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Is it a "teacher" recommender or "other" category? Some schools are specific in which they accept- could it be that issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyOwn Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 This is for "other recommenders". I input the info for the person, then when I went to assign him to the schools, his name was listed in a drop down box for two of the schools, but for the third, it just says "add a recommender" and his name doesn't show up so I can add him. If I click on "add a recommender", it takes me back to the page where I originally input all his info but won't let me add him. There are two optional "other" recommenders for this school and I was only going to add one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyOwn Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 I guess that leads to my next question. I've heard whenever a school says something is optional, I should consider it as required. Does that mean I should have two "other" recommenders even though they are optional? We will have all the teacher recommenders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyOwn Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 Aha! The third school lists very specific types of "other" recommenders -- coach, clergy, employer. This is my son's scoutmaster, which falls in the "other" category of "other" recommenders. Lol! It seems a shame we can't use him, but at least I know why it won't let me add him. So, here's another question. My son has worked at a rehab and assisted living center for the last two years as a volunteer. He's reported to the same lady the entire time. If he asks her for a recommendation, do you think it would be okay to list her as an employer even though he isn't paid? He has a job as well and I'm sure he could get a reference there, but this lady has developed more of a relationship with him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyOwn Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 And I had thought of classifying the scoutmaster as a coach, because he is in a way, but now I'm thinking it is too late because I'd have to delete him and add him in again and then it would lead to confusion because the first invite we sent him wouldn't work. Do people agree? Or is it worth the confusion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 So, here's another question. My son has worked at a rehab and assisted living center for the last two years as a volunteer. He's reported to the same lady the entire time. If he asks her for a recommendation, do you think it would be okay to list her as an employer even though he isn't paid? He has a job as well and I'm sure he could get a reference there, but this lady has developed more of a relationship with him. Yes, I would consider this to fall under "employer". It's about the capacity in which the recommender knows the applicant; whether he is paid or not makes no difference for that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 (edited) I'm glad you figured it out, Ds was having the same issue this afternoon. He'd also already sent the invites out. It was driving me crazy trying to figure it out! Oh well, for him, it only affects 2 schools &'they aren't his top choices and it's his least strong recommendation writer, so I'm not gonna worry about it. Edited September 17, 2017 by Hilltopmom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I guess that leads to my next question. I've heard whenever a school says something is optional, I should consider it as required. Does that mean I should have two "other" recommenders even though they are optional? We will have all the teacher recommenders. Depends on the school how much the letters of rec are weighted, but my daughter always sent as many types of recs as she was allowed. I think for homeschoolers in particular, the recommendations help round out the picture of who the student is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I don't think a Scoutmaster is a coach. I do think the volunteer supervisor lady is an employer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I don't think a Scoutmaster is a coach. He obviously is not a coach, but the question would be what category of recommender comes closest to describing the way he interacts with the applicant. If the choices are Arts Teacher, Clergy, Coach, College Access Counselor, Employer, Family member, or Peer, then I think the scoutmaster's role most closely resembles that of a coach - certainly not any of the others. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 I agree, but if the choices are coach, clergy, and employer, and you don't have any of the three, I don't see how you can just use someone else and put them in one of the categories if they don't fit. Coach to me implies sports. I don't know much about boy scouts, but I did campfire girls as a kid and there were definitely no coaches or sports or anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 I agree, but if the choices are coach, clergy, and employer, and you don't have any of the three, I don't see how you can just use someone else and put them in one of the categories if they don't fit. Coach to me implies sports. I don't know much about boy scouts, but I did campfire girls as a kid and there were definitely no coaches or sports or anything like that. Coach is not necessarily just sports... We have a coach for our robotics team, I guess he's a coach instead of "leader" because it's a "team". Ds used him as a coach under other for the CA. He's a professor as well, but Ds doesn't have him for any classes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 While I'd first try to follow what the college wants, sometimes you have to check a box that is not entirely accurate. Just as our homeschool courses don't always fit exactly what the application expects of typical students, our recommendations may not either. If the college specifically says that they don't want extra recommendations, then I wouldn't give them. However if they say you can give additional recommendations such as clergy or coach, then I'd have no problem asking a scout master. My son turned in two "teacher" recommendations on the common app. One was actually a teacher and could answer the teacher questions. The other was a math coach. His math coach wasn't sure if he should write a "teacher" recommendation since he had never had my son in class. We asked him to do his best to answer the basic questions or put not applicable and then describe truthfully exactly how he does know my son for the recommendation. In this case, we wanted a math teacher recommendation, but essentially I had been the only math teacher for my son. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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