Letter of Recommendation Question

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poppygaichik

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I understand that I will need a letter of recommendation from an English instructor. However, as a community college student, I have not had an English class in a while (I tested out of English a while ago). I understand that instead, the letter of recommendation may come from another Humanities teacher. But here is where I have some discrepancies:

I have taken a philosophy class online at my college during this semester, but because it is online, I didn't get to know the teacher well.

I am currently taking an American Government class online at my college during this semester, but because it is online, I still don't get to know the teacher well.
I am taking French 1 and 2 at my college this semester in class, but I'm not sure it would meet the requirement for a Humanities instructor. I know this instructor the best and have made a great impression on her, while doing well in the class (I do well in all of my classes too btw, if this info helps)

I have taken other humanities online classes during the spring and summer of 2018 (Economics, World History, Human Values and Meaning), but again, because the classes were online, I couldn't get to know the teachers well.

So with these options, which one would you recommend that I seek a recommendation from the most?
 
How long ago was your last English class? Two-ish years ago should still be fine. 5+ may be a different story.

French is not humanities, but maybe that could be a supplementary letter?

Online teachers can write letters based on your work. Did you impress any of them? Get good feedback? They may not be able to speak much to your personality but they can speak to your work ethic, diligence, etc.
 
scutrules said:
How long ago was your last English class? Two-ish years ago should still be fine. 5+ may be a different story.

French is not humanities, but maybe that could be a supplementary letter?

Online teachers can write letters based on your work. Did you impress any of them? Get good feedback? They may not be able to speak much to your personality but they can speak to your work ethic, diligence, etc.
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I'm not sure I could impress any of them, though I completed my work very quickly well before the due dates (I got ahead and completed the courses long before the courses officially ended when possible). I did get good feedback, however I'm not sure how thorough it can be with simple phrases such as "good job!" and good grades.

Is it better to get a lor from a recent online instructor, or an older one? I am not sure the older ones would remember me from an online class.
 
This is sort of a go-with-your-gut type thing, once you make sure you're meeting the requirements. The LORs are not the be-all end-all of your application. I've found that they just need to answer the questions on the list. E.g. Does the student have the ability to learn, does he have integrity, does he have a strong work ethic, would you recommend them for appt to x?
 
poppygaichik said:
I understand that I will need a letter of recommendation from an English instructor. However, as a community college student, I have not had an English class in a while (I tested out of English a while ago). I understand that instead, the letter of recommendation may come from another Humanities teacher. But here is where I have some discrepancies:

I have taken a philosophy class online at my college during this semester, but because it is online, I didn't get to know the teacher well.

I am currently taking an American Government class online at my college during this semester, but because it is online, I still don't get to know the teacher well.
I am taking French 1 and 2 at my college this semester in class, but I'm not sure it would meet the requirement for a Humanities instructor. I know this instructor the best and have made a great impression on her, while doing well in the class (I do well in all of my classes too btw, if this info helps)

I have taken other humanities online classes during the spring and summer of 2018 (Economics, World History, Human Values and Meaning), but again, because the classes were online, I couldn't get to know the teachers well.

So with these options, which one would you recommend that I seek a recommendation from the most?
Click to expand...

Contact Admissions and request their guidance.
 
Echoing the above, this is a great opportunity to contact admissions with a well thought and good question! Whenever those opportunities are available, take them, as they cause your name to stick with an admissions officer or at the very least show interest. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I was once told that all interactions with admissions are placed in your record/profile.
 
Great questions and I also agree with the others who have encouraged you to contact your Admissions Officer.

Typically, in their LORs, instructors may comment on class content or curriculum but also study habits, work ethic, time management, ability to work in a group, the pace of the class, etc... Those qualities might be more apparent to an instructor who has seen you regularly in a classroom environment, but there are always exceptions. Before you contact CGA, take a moment to consider a recent teacher who could provide the type of info that would be helpful to your application. Then reach out to your Admissions Officer to discuss your options. Good luck!
 
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