Teacher Recommendation Question

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PhillipsC

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Hello,
I am currently in the process of applying for the Naval Academy to be a part of the Class of 2023. I am in the process of getting recommendations from my teachers, however I have concerns that the English teacher I asked is not willing or is unable to write a recommendation. I am saying this because she wrote a letter for my district representative that had little to no effort put in and would likely prevent the possibility of me getting a Congressional nomination. I would like to know if it is possible for the Naval Academy Admissions counselor to remove or change the English teacher who sends the letter a recommendation to the Academy or if there is something I can do.
 
Quoting someone else's opinion from this forum isn't really a meaningful reference.

There are various other current threads on the subject of math/english teacher EVALUATIONS (they are not RECOMMENDATIONS) required by USNA. You should review those to see what is being discussed.

Each MOC runs their own NOM process, so I can't speak to what your particular one wants in terms of letter(s) of recommendation. Consult their website for the latest information on that subject. Where you are given a choice of who to choose, you should certainly pick individuals who know you well enough to write a meaningful letter of recommendation.
 
I am having a similar problem with my math teacher. Unfortunately, my original teacher retired in the middle of the first semester and I have had substitutes since then. I would say, the best thing you could do is contact the academy and hope for the best.
 
GA5Fighter said:
I am having a similar problem with my math teacher. Unfortunately, my original teacher retired in the middle of the first semester and I have had substitutes since then. I would say, the best thing you could do is contact the academy and hope for the best.
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All we can do here on the forums is speculate a possible answer. I don’t think any of us know the official answer. I think your best bet would be to call admissions. They will give you an affirmative answer and you’ll be able to progress from there. I’d assume they would just ask for your senior year math teacher instead. But once again we don’t know for certain.

Please report back to this forum if you receive any updates per the admissions office!!
 
DS emailed admissions when he began his application about this time last year (he is an incoming plebe ‘22). He explained his situation (he didn’t have an 11th grade English teacher as he didn’t TAKE English his junior year *thats a whole other story*). He was inquiring about using a different teacher for this “English EVALUATION” (and yes....it’s an evaluation NOT recommendation. There is a difference) required by USNA.

Straight from admissions, QUOTE “I guess you had better use a 12th grade English teacher then”. Short and sweet. And per USNA’s clearly stated instructions for “11th or 12th grade English evaluation”. He quickly changed his schedule for senior year, to include his English class to his first semester so he could meet the application deadline with a 12 grade English teacher evaluation.

DS didn’t ask many questions after that as he felt pretty silly for bothering admissions for an issue that is very straight forward in their instructions. He had his application all ready to go and checked off all the boxes except “11th or 12th grade English teacher evaluation”, and then got that last piece completed once his 12th grade teacher was able to properly evaluate his classroom work habits, which is what they are after in the evaluation.

I wonder why an English teacher would put “little to no effort “ into a recommendation letter? Usually they are very adept at writing eloquent letters. Kind of their specialty. Also curious how you know the contents of the letter? Ours were emailed or mailed directly to MOC’s. DS has no idea of their content. You also will not see what goes to the USNA (at least to date DS has not). But if you know a recommendation letter isn’t a ‘good’ one, don’t use it and ask someone else. It’s ok to ask a potential writer ‘would you be able, and feel comfortable, writing a letter of recommendation on my behalf to the USNA?’ Again, though, such a recommendation is different than the USNA evaluations.

Perhaps you are talking about the additional letters of recommendation that USNA will accept as parti of your package? If so, those can be from anyone, and should be from someone who knows you well and can attest to your strengths, character, work ethic, things that provide a good picture of who you are. DS used a coach and a priest.

Does your MOC process actually require a recommendation from your English teacher? Usually letters of recommendation can come from whomever.

So there is our experience regarding 11th grade English teacher EVALUATION for the USNA application (not MOC), from admissions. However, if you still have questions, do your own asking from your admissions counselor. Good luck with your journey!
 
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^^ I agree. If you truly have a unique situation, then you should contact admissions for clarification. You need to grasp the difference between evaluations and recommendations, since they are two different things. If the specified teacher 'refuses' to provide the evaluation (i.e. perhaps opposed to the military) that is different from someone you don't think will give you a good evaluation.

justdoit19 said:
“11th or 12th grade English evaluation”
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If the application instruction provide that option then 'or' means either one of those. Also good to carefully READ the application instructions.
 
justdoit19 said:
DS didn’t ask many questions after that as he felt pretty silly for bothering admissions for an issue that is very straight forward in their instructions. He had his application all ready to go and checked off all the boxes except “11th or 12th grade English teacher evaluation”, and then got that last piece completed once his 12th grade teacher was able to properly evaluate his classroom work habits, which is what they are after in the evaluation.
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How long did it take for his English teacher to properly evaluate him? If you wait to use your senior year math/English teacher, is there a minimum amount of time you must be in his or her’s class? A month? A quarter? A semester?
 
justdoit19 said:
I wonder why an English teacher would put “little to no effort “ into a recommendation letter?
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^ That's the question I have . Most teachers are pretty good about putting effort into Recommendations, particularly for students that they really care for. If you are the type of kid that sits in the back of room, rarely participates, and just gets by --the teacher isn't going to go to bat for you. (I am not implying that OP is that kid ...just using it as an example).

I would encourage OP to sit down with the teacher and talk to them about the Naval Academy, why they want to attend, and the importance of a good evaluation. If the teacher appears reluctant because he /she is anti-military and doesn't believe in helping students get into Service Academies, that is a good reason to call Admissions and ask to reset the English Teacher entry (and have your 12th grade teacher do the recommendation).

This illustrates why it is really important to get to know your 11th grade Math and English teachers --be a class room leader, work hard and do well. Let them know that you want to go to a Service Academy, and tell them you are going to need their evaluation, so its not a surprise when they receive a notice from USNA. You should have a pretty good idea whether the teacher is going to support you, even before you get to the application process. It is important to get your teachers on your side, so they will go the extra mile and put the necessary effort to make the teacher evaluation meaningful.
 
usna1234 said:
How long did it take for his English teacher to properly evaluate him? If you wait to use your senior year math/English teacher, is there a minimum amount of time you must be in his or her’s class? A month? A quarter? A semester?
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I believe it was about a month. U til he felt like he had established a relationship. You superstar leaders don’t take long to do that by your nature :)
 
Old Navy BGO said:
^ That's the question I have . Most teachers are pretty good about putting effort into Recommendations, particularly for students that they really care for. If you are the type of kid that sits in the back of room, rarely participates, and just gets by --the teacher isn't going to go to bat for you. (I am not implying that OP is that kid ...just using it as an example).

I would encourage OP to sit down with the teacher and talk to them about the Naval Academy, why they want to attend, and the importance of a good evaluation. If the teacher appears reluctant because he /she is anti-military and doesn't believe in helping students get into Service Academies, that is a good reason to call Admissions and ask to reset the English Teacher entry (and have your 12th grade teacher do the recommendation).

This illustrates why it is really important to get to know your 11th grade Math and English teachers --be a class room leader, work hard and do well. Let them know that you want to go to a Service Academy, and tell them you are going to need their evaluation, so its not a surprise when they receive a notice from USNA. You should have a pretty good idea whether the teacher is going to support you, even before you get to the application process. It is important to get your teachers on your side, so they will go the extra mile and put the necessary effort to make the teacher evaluation meaningful.
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Agree...there are several question in the OP’s statement that are perplexing to me.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
^ That's the question I have . Most teachers are pretty good about putting effort into Recommendations, particularly for students that they really care for. If you are the type of kid that sits in the back of room, rarely participates, and just gets by --the teacher isn't going to go to bat for you. (I am not implying that OP is that kid ...just using it as an example).

I would encourage OP to sit down with the teacher and talk to them about the Naval Academy, why they want to attend, and the importance of a good evaluation. If the teacher appears reluctant because he /she is anti-military and doesn't believe in helping students get into Service Academies, that is a good reason to call Admissions and ask to reset the English Teacher entry (and have your 12th grade teacher do the recommendation).

This illustrates why it is really important to get to know your 11th grade Math and English teachers --be a class room leader, work hard and do well. Let them know that you want to go to a Service Academy, and tell them you are going to need their evaluation, so its not a surprise when they receive a notice from USNA. You should have a pretty good idea whether the teacher is going to support you, even before you get to the application process. It is important to get your teachers on your side, so they will go the extra mile and put the necessary effort to make the teacher evaluation meaningful.
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Hence my recommendations to HS juniors and sophomores from an old post:

Your 11th grade English and Math teachers will be critical to your admission. Impress them with your effort, work habits, timelness, etc. and of course - with your performance.
 
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