How to Get Your Teacher Recommendation
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As a part of the Global Navigator high school summer scholarship application process, alongside writing a scholarship essay, you’ll be asked to provide a teacher recommendation. We just need a few lines from a teacher who knows you well and can help us appreciate what this study abroad opportunity represents for you as a student.
To get the process started, we recommend you ask your teacher in person if they would be willing to complete your recommendation. Then, our online application makes it easy. All you need to do is enter your teacher’s email address and he/she will get an email notification with instructions on where to submit the recommendation.
Who should you ask?
Select a teacher, advisor, or guidance counselor that has known you for more than six months and is not related to you. If you are a freshman or new to the school, select a teacher that has you in class between three to five times per week. The teacher you choose doesn’t necessarily have to teach the topic you will be studying abroad with CIEE. We just want to hear from someone who can vouch for you as a student!
What kinds of questions will your teacher be asked?
The questions are easy and mostly “pick lists”! Take a look:
- How long have you known the student?
- In what capacity have you known the student?
- How well does the student communicate his or her ideas?
- Does the student ask for help when necessary?
- How does the student respond to constructive feedback?
- How does the student adapt to new or unfamiliar experiences?
- Is the student able to successfully develop new relationships?
- Please indicate the areas in which the student has demonstrated achievement.
- Please share any other thoughts or observations about the student you feel we should consider in evaluating his/her scholarship application (this question is open ended but a one paragraph answer is just fine).
Completing the recommendation should take less than 20 minutes.: Your teacher will need to open an account and post the recommendation online, but this is immediate and a one-time thing.
What information should you give your teacher?
Explain what you are applying to and why. Tell your teacher where you want to go with CIEE and what you hope to get out of the trip. If you’ve already drafted responses to your scholarship essay questions, just share those with your teacher.
Remind your teacher about your academic record. Extracurricular activities or academic courses you took in the past couple of years speak volumes about your interests and motivations as a student.
Don’t be afraid to ask and don’t worry if your teacher takes a few days to follow up – being a teacher is not easy and their schedule can get really busy! You’ll be able to track progress on your online application, too. As soon as your teacher submits the recommendation, that task will be marked as complete and a little green checkmark will appear next it. Try to give your teacher at least a week to complete the recommendation before your start reminding him/her!
Last but not least, don’t stress out about this! Remember that your teacher will be delighted to see you pursue this study abroad opportunity!