Am i screwed?

K

King Twix

Member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
20
Hello,

I've submitted everything for my application, and have everything done except my English teacher recommendation. I asked her if she would be able to around late November, and she said she would have it in. I checked again around Jan 10th or so, and she had not done it. When i asked her she said she was getting it in. I got an email from my admissions officer Monday stating that I needed it by Thursday(today). Since Monday, i have talked to her every day of the week making sure it was under control.
It is still not done, and i am not confident it will be submitted by the end of today.
If she has not finished it by today, what will happen? Am i out of luck?
 
Good Luck, Twix. It took over 8 months for my DS' math teacher to understand how important her recommendation letter was to the process. Thankfully, we got everything in a week before the deadline. Hang in there.
 
Do you want an letter of recommendation from a teacher who refuses to write one for you? Do you have a different teacher from last year who you could use?
 
We lived this nightmare too. DDs counselor didn't understand CGA has EA. Flat out told us before summer no she would not send out recs before mid September. DD didn't want to seem to a pest towards her teacher... I think it's admirable you are on top of this, but some adults don't get it unless another adult gets on them about it.
 
My mother always taught me "the squeaky wheel gets oiled first". I cannot say whether you are "screwed" or not. However, I would IMMEDIATELY see your principal today and explain your dilemma. Your English teacher is a disgrace. It is part of a high school teacher's job, if not a moral obligation, to prepare recommendation and referral forms for their students; especially students like you who are applying to service academies and the ivy league. I hope it isn't too late for you. I will pray that it works out for you. Best of luck!
 
It's not up to the admissions officer to badger a teacher for a recommendation.

This is the risk of the process. It's also a lesson to many to get things in as early as possible in the event that one person drags his/her feet.

Schools have deadlines, and it's up to the applicants to meet them, but it's very unfortunate that this would happen. Pathetic move by the teacher.
 
I agree with above, but a lesson you could draw from this is not to wait over a month to follow-up to see if something was done. Especially with someone who already has a history of not getting things done. A basic management/leadership skill. Hope all works out and that you are, in fact, not screwed.

EDIT: I should have added that I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir at this point in time.
 
It's also helpful to remember that the teacher's failure is not your fault. It's easy to trust someone when she says she'll do something, and painful when she continues up burn you.

I give myself earlier deadlines with the understanding that some people may not hold up their end of a bargain, requiring me to use some wiggle room to come up with a solution.

Plan for the worst and hope for the best.
 
DrMom said:
Do you want an letter of recommendation from a teacher who refuses to write one for you? Do you have a different teacher from last year who you could use?
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She wasn't refusing to write one, she just wasn't. I can't change the recommendation source since I have already submitted the application.
Maplerock said:
Call the principal. Have your parents get involved. Academy appointment make the school look good.

NOW!
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I plan to email my counselor and academic dean about it today. Thank you




I haven't heard back from my teacher yet, I'll find out if she was able to do it in the next hour or so. Thank you so much everyone for your input
 
King Twix said:
She wasn't refusing to write one, she just wasn't. I can't change the recommendation source since I have already submitted the application.

I plan to email my counselor and academic dean about it today. Thank you




I haven't heard back from my teacher yet, I'll find out if she was able to do it in the next hour or so. Thank you so much everyone for your input
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Some thoughts to use or not as you choose...

Craft a careful email in an assertive but respectful tone that gets the message across to drive action toward what you need done. State what you need to happen in the opening paragraph and request their help. Include the timeline of your requests and reminders, a copy of the email from your SA contact saying when it was due - those facts will make it clear whose fault this is without too much effort. You can apologize for bringing this to their attention so late in the process, that you wanted to give the teacher every chance since she had indicated her intention to get it done. Re-emphasize the deadline and that you need to resolve this today, that your appointment process is all stop for this one thing, so you can provide your Academy contact with proof positive it's on its way.

Advocating for yourself in situations like this with authority figures by being armed with facts, a clear request with action steps, a respectful tone and appreciative expectation of positive results is very much an officer skill. Plan B is releasing the Parental Kraken.

And - I'm a firm believer in that a Sent Email doesn't always equate to a Read Email. If you can, send the email, then stop by the counselor's office to underscore how critical this is. You want to ensure he/she has read it, and knows you are standing by to answer questions. A warm body in the doorway is harder to ignore than an email on a Friday.
 
^100% agree with cptmaj...lol over parental kraken....if they don't know yet you better give them a heads up. Reading this thread has me reliving it. I think that was the week I broke my New Years resolution....The day DD went to their offices it was like one obstacle after another. Murphy and his laws...DD kept thinking the website was taking time to update. Nope it just wasn't submitted. DD opened the gates...(not by her choice) please keep us posted.
 
Son had a similar situation last fall. Junior year English teacher was flaking out and kept forgetting to complete his recommendation. This went on for months. After many frequent emails, phone calls and reminders son gave up on her. He was afraid if he continued being a "pest" or went to administration complaining about her that the teacher would not give him the best recommendation. He contacted his admission counselor, explained the situation and they switched to his senior year English teacher. Senior English teacher had the form completed within 24 hours of receiving it.
 
King Twix said:
I emailed him, he said there's nothing he could do.
If this recommendation doesn't get sent in, what happens?
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I have worked in a high school guidance office for years. You should be contacting the principal TODAY! This is completely unacceptable if the teacher said they would write the letter and has not done so.
 
YES! You can change the recommendation source. You write to your regional guy or regional technical support person and they clear the recommender's information and you submit new information. My guy did exactly this...in November when it turned out he was a rock star in this year's Math class. Last year's teacher was dragging her feet--and the new guy completed the requirement the day he received the email. Good luck to you.
 
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