Recommendation

One day, you plan to ask Mr. Kan for a recommendation, here are some guidelines below:

Please read it before asking Mr. Kan.

If you feel that these guidelines are unreasonable, please ask another teacher for a recommendation.

1.  Mr. Kan reserve the right to deny recommendation requests. 

• Please remember that I am not required to write any recommendations (nor is any teacher)

2. There is no max limit of letters I can write for you, however it can vary with time available. Notify me asap, the more time the better.

3.  View below guidelines for college and non-college program

4. Ask me before sending me things.  Don't just send me invites or portals. 

• High chance I won't see them. I get a lot of emails that are spam so high chance I won't even know or respond if you don't tell me ahead of time. 

5. In general, you must be willing to waive your right to view the recommendation. If you feel that you cannot trust what I have written, then you need to find a different teacher that you trust to write your recommendation.  

• If you do not waive your right to view the recommendation, I will deny your request

6. Mr. Kan is going to write an honest positive recommendation. I focus mostly on the positive things, however I am not going to make up things for you. 

7. Contact information

• For email, use either kkan@schools.nyc.gov or kkan@stuy.edu. 

• For address, use Stuyvesant High School: 345 Chambers St, New York, NY 10282

• For phone number, use Stuyvesant High School: (212) 312-4800

8. If you must apply on paper, you need to provide a stamped, addressed envelope for me. If there is additional paperwork required, please print it out for me

9. I will let you know once I have submitted your recommendation.

10. I will try to write a good recommendation, but keep in mind: A good letter of recommendation will not make an unqualified candidate qualified, but may open the door to additional consideration

1. Contact me in person or by email 

• Find me in-person if I don't see your email by chance

• Wait until I agree to write the recommendation

2. Ask me at least 3 months before the deadline. 

3. Let me know when you ask if you are doing Early Action or Regular

• I don't want to be surprised I had an Early decision recommendation a few days before deadline. There is a high chance the letter will not be as good and it would be best to do regular.

4. Send the following information:

• Deadline

• (Required) Send me the complete Recommendation Form at least 2 month before the deadline

• (optional) you can also send me your resume

5.  I make a list of the order of who I am writing first. It is based on who ask first and who sends me the resume or/and form. 

• If you send me resume or/and form late or last minute, you are in back of the line, which risk rushed letter + few days late.

• I will be writing a lot of college recommendations for people so it you do things last minute, your recommendation might be rush or in back of the line or a few days past deadline. (think of being late for a doctor appointment in a busy clinic with walk-ins)

6. Naviance information:

• Let me know when you send Naviance invite 

• I don't check Naviance unless I am uploading something

• Make sure you waive your right to view the recommendation

• Teachers upload letter to Naviance and Guidance Counselor will submit and send the recommendation to your school(s) since they include school information

• I will let you know once I submitted the recommendation. If you add more schools to Naviance after I submitted the recommendation, double check if the system has sent the recommendation to the newly added college. If not, you have to let me know to resubmit it on the system.

7. CUNY Recommendation

• CUNY recommendations cannot be submitted by Naviance

• Send my the link or portal to submit

• Let me know once the invite is sent out

8. Remember to Waive your right to view the recommendation