College Recommendations: Fall Instructions

What I need to receive from you

A one-page checklist for my use listing the colleges for which you need letters and their application deadlines. List the schools in order by their deadline dates. If you need to add or delete any schools, please provide an updated version of your checklist.
Any updated information about how to reach you or about your academic accomplishments.
For each college, a form on which you have signed a waiver making the recommendation letter confidential.
- If the college has a recommendation form that includes a confidentiality waiver, you can just give me that form.
- If the college has a recommendation form without a confidentiality waiver section, you should give me both the college’s form and a signed copy of my form, Cover Sheet for Confidential Reference Letter.
- If the college doesn’t have its own recommendation form, just fill out my Cover Sheet for Confidential Reference Letter form.
In any case, I will be attaching to the form a letter that I’ve written, and mailing the recommendation directly to the college. As is the general practice at LHS, I normally do not complete the check boxes on application forms (characterizations such as “top 10%” tend to work against you when you’re at a school with lots of good students). However, if you have a strong preference that you would like me to use the check boxes, see me to discuss.
For each college, a stamped, addressed envelope for mailing the recommendation. Please use this return address: Kevin Kelly; Mathematics Department; Lexington High School; 251 Waltham Street; Lexington, MA 02421.
Optional: If you have prepared drafts of any college application essays (especially those in which you discuss your interests and future goals), it would be useful to have copies (these will help me ensure that what I have written fits together well with what you are saying in your applications).

Deadlines (really important, no exceptions)

I need you to meet my deadlines so that I can meet the application deadlines for you and all other students, along with my teaching responsibilities. I can’t make exceptions to these dates.

If your application is due in I need everything from you by

Sept. or Oct., 2009 (rare) Friday, September 4, 2009

November, 2009 Friday, October 2, 2009

December, 2009 Friday, November 6, 2009

January, 2010 or later Tuesday, November 24, 2009

If your application is due in	I need everything from you by
Sept. or Oct., 2009 (rare)	Friday, September 4, 2009
November, 2009	Friday, October 2, 2009
December, 2009	Friday, November 6, 2009
January, 2010 or later	Tuesday, November 24, 2009

When you get admitted to colleges

Let me know, I want to be among the first to congratulate you! Especially, if an early admission means you’ll no longer be applying to certain other schools, contact me right away, as it will save me some work.

Please, no senior slump!

This last request applies if you happen to have me for calculus in your senior year. Occasionally I’ve had the experience of writing a glowing recommendation for a student, only to see his/her work habits decline in the second half of senior year. This leaves me feeling stupid to have written such a positive letter for a student who wasn’t really very committed to learning. So if you’ve asked me to write about what a good student you are, please accord me the respect of living up to the recommendation during your remaining time in my class. I’d hate to see our academic relationship end up any other way. Thanks.