Pick a NASH senior at random and look at the tabs open on their laptop—chances are, you’ll find commonapp.org, collegeboard.org, and the ever-popular Reddit thread r/applyingtocollege. College application season is in full swing, and though seniors are breathing a sigh of relief now that November 1st—the Early Action deadline for many schools—has passed, the stress and supplemental writing are far from over. 

But students often overlook the work their teachers put in during college application season. Between writing letters of recommendation, editing students’ essays, and teaching seniors who often spend more time staring at the Common App home screen than doing homework, teachers also have their hands full every fall. 

Letters of recommendation are required to apply to many schools. Some teachers, especially those who have many juniors, are known for the high volume of rec letter requests they receive.

“There is a lot of stress in these letters because we know how long students take to do their applications and how important every part of the app is to the kid,” said math teacher Mrs. Volpe, who says she writes anywhere from 20 to 70 rec letters each year, between college and scholarship applications. 

APUSH teacher Mr. Venezia spends a class period at the end of the school year talking to his students about the rec letter process—he covers everything from why they’re important to the etiquette of requesting one.

“I found I was fielding the same questions over and again from students on how this process works, and that many (most?) had no idea how to ask someone for a letter of recommendation,” said Venezia. “It was after a student yelled ‘Hey Mr. V—You want to write me a rec letter, right?’ from down the hall one afternoon that I thought guidelines would be helpful. And no, I didn’t write that student a rec letter.”

By nature of the subject of her classes, English teacher Mrs. Rhinehart has the added responsibility of helping students edit their personal statements and supplemental essays on top of writing rec letters. 

“There isn’t much wiggle room, and it’s stressful to try to manage when it feels like there is never enough time to do everything,” said Rhinehart.

She’s met with 35 seniors for essay help this year, holding a 20-30 minute one-on-one conference with each student and editing rough drafts. 

Rhinehart also realizes that the fall is a stressful time for students. Because she’s teaching all seniors this year, it’s rare that a day will pass without her hearing one of those college buzzwords — “supplemental,” “Common App,” “early decision,”— at least once.

“I have learned that I need to be flexible with planning and deadlines around November 1, and also that quick check-ins during class are helpful in that they show students that they are not alone in feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the process,” she said.

During this hectic time, teachers appreciate when students work with them to ensure that documents are submitted and deadlines pass without a hitch.

“It’s important for letters to give the college information that isn’t already in the application that the student completed,” said Volpe. “The student needs to give their teachers more information to make that happen.”

Venezia, who estimates that he writes between 30 and 45 letters in the fall, echoes the sentiment.

“I can’t stress enough to students to make our job as recommenders as easy as possible,” he said. “Ask us well in advance of due dates. Inform us if you are applying to schools with special application circumstances, like their own forms or web-submissions. Don’t add new schools to Naviance every other day and not let us know.”

Volpe also warns against procrastination during the college application process, emphasizing that starting early minimizes stress for both students and teachers. 

“When real life and school work are also taking out huge chunks of the kid’s time, something has to give, and usually (and unfortunately), it’s the mental health of the procrastinators,” she said.

And finally, when the dust clears and deadlines have come and gone, students aren’t the only ones waiting anxiously for their decisions—teachers are also eager to learn where their students will be heading after they walk out of NASH for the last time. 

“Once I write a letter, I am invested in the outcome. I want to know where you will be going after NASH,” said Venezia. “Even if it is a fly-by my room between classes, I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate your success.”