LOR from High School Teacher

[DJ Hunny]

Would a high school teacher be an appropriate source for a LOR? Even though I didn't do nearly as well in HS as I've done in college, my HS teacher knows me very well and has seen me progress and improve both as a student and as a person. If there's anyone that would have a good assessment of my character, ambition, and capabilities, it'd be him.

[jaxon]

id say this is a good way to look like a jackass

[russian_concussion]

id say this is a good way to look like a jackass

Well, technically, high school IS undergrad, right?

[A.J]

Uh, no. 

[DJ Hunny]

Uh, just asking to be sure, no need to say "jackass" 

[jacy85]

Adcoms don't give two shits about what you did in high school.  Considering the fact that you haven't worked with these teachers in at least 3-4 years, they can no longer comment on your ability to excel in an academic setting.  You telling them that you got a 3.8 one semester does NOT make them someone in a position to write about how great you are.

Find a professor, an employer, a volunteer program coordinator, etc.  Basically, find someone an adcom would actually care about.

[DJ Hunny]

I thought I read in either Princeton Review or somewhere that they don't recommend employers, but thanks for pointing that out for me.

[jaxon]

u should be able to get one from a prof at your college... if you can't, then that raises some serious questions

[jacy85]

You should have at least one academic rec.  If you're getting three, and are just out of school, the best course to take is probably two academic, and a third from a non-professor (EC advisor, employer from internship/awesome summer job, etc.)

The farther out from school you get, the more "acceptable" work related LORs are.  But seeing how you're asking about a high school teacher's LOR, I'm guessing you're still finishing undergrad, in which case you should probably get more academic recs than others.

[russian_concussion]

Uh, just asking to be sure, no need to say "jackass" 

You tell 'em  DJ, don't let Bartha boss you around!