Here in my second full year at SA, the firsts that used to happen every week (sometimes every day) have slowed to a trickle–but this week I wrote my first two college recommendations! These were for the two boys I really hoped would ask me for recs, because each worked hard to master skills that didn’t come easily to them. One is much more academic than the other, but in a math ‘n computers kind of way; still, he really applied himself, took every bit of criticism, and (to his surprise and mine) scored a 5 on the AP. The other is a very good-natured fellow who’s ranked near the bottom of his class, but who was the big success story of my elective last spring.
Now I have to write for other kids, including a couple of students I like fine but don’t have anything nearly as interesting to say about, and one who is reaching for a very competitive college where I taught for a few years, and one who really hasn’t worked to his potential.
I realize these recs are a small part of the application, but I have to believe they matter, or I can’t do a good job on them. I have five to write in the next two weeks, for Nov. 1 deadlines, and then another three for students who I guess only have regular deadlines, not rolling or early.
In other news, I have my second cold of the school year. It’s a minor one, but annoying nonetheless. It also means that I’m not going to go to the meeting at P’s institution–it is a small meeting and we are rescheduling–so I’m going to go to the event at SA after all, and I’m pretty happy about this. But I do need a nap first.
Posted by What Now? on October 18, 2009 at 1:34 am
Last year I wrote 16 letters of rec and found some interesting and rewarding to write and others less so. So last spring I didn’t give the same gung-ho “happy to write for you” speech that I’d given the year before, and I seem to be writing only 4 letters. (Of course, I also taught only 2 rather than the previous 3 sections of juniors last year, so that contributed also.) I worry a little bit that I’m not doing my letter-writing duty for the school this year, but on the other hand, these four are all folks about whom I have actual things to say, which will be lovely.
But, oh goodness, do they take a long time to write! That’s something else that needs to happen in the next couple of weeks.
Posted by meansomething on October 19, 2009 at 3:18 am
Did you get all caught up in where they were applying and how their applications and college choices turned out? I’m super curious about this.
Posted by What Now? on October 19, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I have to say that I was really frustrated last year that the students did not in fact keep me updated on where they were getting in or where they decided to go. Some of them did finally swing by in the late spring to tell me their final decision, but some kids never did. So this year, I’ve been very clear with all of the students for whom I’m writing: Part of the deal is that they have to tell me!!