Letters of recommendation/evaluation question

[Zertfxx]

When the time comes and USNA asks for a teacher evaluation for the next school year, should I be asking my 11th-grade teachers rather than my 12th-grade teachers to fill them out?

 

[gnc2003]

I would suggest you ask whichever teachers know you best. If you happen to know any of your 12th-grade teachers already, and you feel they could evaluate you better than other teachers, then ask them. If you think your 11th-grade teachers know you better, then you should ask them. There's really no right or wrong way to do it, though, teachers from either grade are fine.

 

[USNAHopefull1]

Hopefully one of the moderators will give a clear answer. But I believe I was only allowed to ask only my 11 th grade teachers for rec letter. I was told It would not be accepted from 12 th grade teacher.

 

[dakiti~]

This is the USNA application requirement for class 2026, a same requirement for Math teacher. Hope it helps.

 

[MidCakePa]

There's really no right or wrong way to do it, though, teachers from either grade are fine.

Hopefully one of the moderators will give a clear answer.

Not a moderator, but someone whose kids applied to multiple SAs. Each SA is very specific about who should complete your evaluation (it’s an assessment, not a letter of recommendation).

Read each SA’s requirement very carefully, because they’re not necessarily the same. Follow it to a T and you’ll be fine. A sign of a strong SA candidate is attention to detail.

 

[ParachutePanda]

Not a moderator, but someone whose kids applied to multiple SAs. Each SA is very specific about who should complete your evaluation (it’s an assessment, not a letter of recommendation).

Read each SA’s requirement very carefully, because they’re not necessarily the same. Follow it to a T and you’ll be fine. A sign of a strong SA candidate is attention to detail.

MidCakePa is correct! USNA has different standards than USMA in regards to teacher evals and so on and so forth. Personally, I went with my 11th grade teachers as I had had them for 2 years in a row. Obviously, go with who can speak to your character the best and reach out to them before the end of the school year! I also recommend telling your guidance counselor that they will need to be filling out and completing online forms for every academy that you apply to.

 

[kinnem]

^ This plus the primary source referenced above. I expect your junior year teachers will know you best.

 

[OldRetSWO]

When the time comes and USNA asks for a teacher evaluation for the next school year, should I be asking my 11th-grade teachers rather than my 12th-grade teachers to fill them out?

Many motivated candidates try to get most if not all of their applications done before the Admissions Board starts to meet which is right around when school starts. To do this a high school student applicant will pretty much need to go with 11th grade teachers.

 

[CoMom26]

My advice is use teachers you already have had that can testify to your hard work, effort, mastery of a subject, type of person you are, etc. Teachers for your senior year, unless you have had them before, can't do that. Something else we realized in the process. It is good to ask the teachers now or before school ends AND make them aware of the Service Academy application timeline. Most of them are off in the summer so when your portal opens - and you put their name and contact information into the portal - they will likely be off. You will need to kindly ask them to have their letters ready by mid-late July so you get them submitted early. The SAs will email them directly with access to the portal, etc. They may not be able to check their school email until school returns, just know that and follow up as soon as school is back in session. The process/requirements for letters for Nominations and each SA is different so be respectful of their time and give them ample time to do all this amazing work on your behalf. One thing - our school's firewall actually blocked the emails from one SA and the college counselor had to get involved to help make sure teachers received the emails. The SA Admissions rep had seen it before and knew how to maneuver - but just so you are aware that this can happen. It did slow down the math and english evaluation process but only until we figured out the problem.