What teacher should I ask for Recommendation letter?Answered
I need two recommendation letters from teachers for my college requirement. Will it look bad to admission deans if I ask Korean teacher for rec letter while my first language is korean? I am not a international student tho(im permanent resident). My major is stem based, and i only attended my school for less than one year. Right after I transferred, i had to stay at home bc of Covid-19. So i didnt really have time for teacher to get to know me. I asked to english teacher i met after I transferred, but he just said no. Korean teacher is closest teacher for me , but im not sure should i ask.
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2 answers
If the Korean teacher is the only teacher that knows you, you have no choice but to go with that person.
It would much better to ask some of your teachers at the high school you attended 9th, 10th, and 1/2 11th grade (versus your Korean teacher) before you transferred and were homebound because of COVID-19. Since Korean is not a typical high school course I'm curious if your Korean teacher is your after school teacher since many Korean American HS students go to "hagwon". If I may ask if you speak Korean as your native language, what classes do you learn with your Korean teacher? And is the Korean teacher working at the Public or Private High School you currently attend or somewhere else?
Since your Major is a STEM field, your most important recommendation should come from a science teacher who taught you Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Math teachers who taught you Calculus or Physics. Then your 2nd recommendation should come from a Humanities teacher or someone who taught you English, History, Psychology, or a language other than Korean.
Your question is not the typical recommendation question because most people on here know American teachers who can vouch for their academic record and intellectual vitality. Now if you were applying to Seoul National University. ...
KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology) ...
Yonsei University. ...as an Int'l Student, I'd say that having a Korean teacher write your recommendations. I'm not so sure what the upside is to apply to an American University as an American and have a Korean teacher write the recommendation could be a huge plus. I know that Korean is taught by many colleges as a language but you are not applying for Korean studies anywhere. That is the only other instance I can think of where the Korean teacher adds a boost.
Good luck with your admissions process and hope that helps.
Most colleges require recommendations from one STEM teacher and one humanities teacher, so is perfectly okay to ask your Korean teacher as this falls under humanities!
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I am taking Korean course in public high school. It is similar course like other foreign language classes. And i am planning on applying the US private university. She is not like hagwon teacher, she is public high school teacher. What im worry about is that since admission deans know that i am korean and my first language is korean, will it look bad to ask her for rec letter rather than other english or history teachers. I also asked my ap physics teacher for rec letter.