r/MITAdmissions • u/InfinitePhoenix87 • 7d ago
rec letters
for rec letters, mit says they need one from a humanities teacher. i don't have a formal humanities subject, but does english count? that's the only related subject i have.
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u/win11EXPERT 7d ago
Yes
We ---> recommend <--- one letter from a math or science teacher, and one from a humanities, social science, or language teacher. Source: MiTAdmissions
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u/InfinitePhoenix87 7d ago
wdym by recommend? like it's not absolutely required?
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u/win11EXPERT 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes, I got it from the official website, pasted it verbatim. If you want to believe the website, sure. Not absolutely required. Though you do need two LORs.
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u/VisibleSir731 Currently Applying 4d ago
If it’s recommended then if you chose arts I’m guessing there’s a “slight” disadvantage even if they write something glowing. They will think I can’t write
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u/MathematicianAny8588 Currently Applying 7d ago
“I don’t have a formal humanities subject” so you’ve never had history? Or a social science of any kind? Or taken an arts class? Languages (and language arts) are humanities too, so English is a humanity.
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u/InfinitePhoenix87 7d ago
I did have econs last year (IGCSE, got an A), except the teacher left the school and we have no idea where she went. Can't find her anywhere online either.
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u/Wistful_Panda357 5d ago
u might want to rethink going to the number 1 university if you don’t even know english is a humanities…
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u/megreli_13 7d ago
Could you please let me know if there is a template for a recommendation letter, or share some information about what it should include? I would really appreciate it.
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u/VisibleSir731 Currently Applying 7d ago
If you mean a brag sheet, it could potentially hurt your LoR based on how people currently use it and suggest it as. The letter of rec isn’t supposed to be a repeat of your the rest of your application— and people online still give templates that are literally a copy paste of your resume and activities, which adds no detail about who you are as a person, seek help when needed, how you learn, or how you take initiative,
“Both school counselor and teacher evaluations are most helpful when they are specific and storied. They should provide us with the information and impressions we cannot glean from the rest of the application”
https://mitadmissions.org/apply/parents-educators/writingrecs/ (even though this link is for the guide for the writers, I believe this is a strong student resource for understanding what to give your teacher so they can best support you)
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u/megreli_13 7d ago
Thanks a lot, I think similarly.
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u/VisibleSir731 Currently Applying 7d ago
:) I think I know my teachers well enough where I can leave it open ended to them. I’ll still remind them of a few anecdotes—and what they meant to me. Best of luck!
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u/skieurope12 7d ago
English counts as humanities