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Hi,

I'm international applicant from china. I've being studing at my current high school since this semptember, I don't know if they know me enough to write recs for me, they are my only option.

In china, teachers never wrote recommendations. I doubt whether they know how to write it. And what make the thing even worse is that my teachers don't know me well.

Any advice on how can i get great recommendations?

By Massdad (Massdad) on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 09:26 am: Edit

You must do the best you can with your current teachers. Sometimes, it is necessary to actually coach your writers.

I would start by meeting with them in person, explaining what you want and expect, and asking if there is any way to help. This could include getting them an example reference letter.

Finally, realize that a lousy reference letter would only really hurt you if it said negative things. An uninformative reference is usually interpreted as what it is - one written by someone who does not know the candidate well (common in large schools here) and may not be a good writer.

So don't lose sleep over the letters, focus instead on what you directly control: your own performance.

Good luck!

By Amylase (Amylase) on Friday, November 21, 2003 - 08:15 am: Edit

thanks for yr advice massdad!

They are very helpful to me. Now i won't lose sleep over these recs any more, i'll focus on other stuff.


Thanks again Massdad