Reminder: 2025 Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays

Scholars Online will observe Thanksgiving holidays on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28.

We will observe Christmas and New Year’s holidays starting after the last class on Friday, December 18, 2020. Classes will resume after the New Year on January 4, 2020. Teachers may adjust schedules if necessary, however, to meet students’ plans or their own. If you have questions about class meetings or assignments during the holiday period, please contact the teacher.

The Moodle and Scholars Online website and chat logs will be available throughout the holiday period, and no down time is currently planned. The administrators and most teachers will be checking email, but please grant us extra time to respond.

Letter of Recommendation

It’s time for seniors to apply for college admission. An important component of the college application is the letter of recommendation submitted by your teacher. Here are some points for students to consider when asking for a letter of recommendation:

• Choose teachers from whom you have taken at least a full year’s course, who know your academic strengths and weaknesses well, and who can give an accurate assessment of your abilities.
• Ask first whether the teacher is willing to write your letter: if your teacher has any reservations or restrictions, he or she will let you know.
• Give your teacher as much time as possible. Remember that the teacher must work this activity around existing course commitments and family obligations. A teacher should have all the information required (paper forms or common application instructions) at least three weeks before any deadline, so that he or she can assemble information from your academic records, homework assignments, and correspondence, craft your letter, and submit or mail it in time to meet your deadlines.
• Some schools or scholarship programs require that you submit letters of recommendation through the Common Application process. In this case, the teacher is allowed to write a single letter, which is sent to every school you name. If the Common Application is optional, you may want to talk to your teacher first, to find out whether he or she prefers (or is willing) to write individual letters tailored to the target schools.
• If you are using paper forms, be sure to fill out your name, age, birth date, address, or other personal identification on the form: do not expect the teacher to know it. Send a stamped envelope addressed to the admissions office or review board that is to receive the letter (do not expect someone who is doing you a favor also to cover postage costs — this is basic courtesy!). Also, if you address the envelope yourself, you’ll know that it will get to the right school.
• If you are sending multiple forms, organize them! Clip the forms and envelopes for each school together, and add a sticky note that explains when that form is due and any special instructions for that school, such as “Please comment on lab work done” if you are applying for a biology department scholarship. Keep a list of the forms you send, and ask the teacher to let you know when he or she has mailed the letters for you.
• You may want to include a cover letter to the teacher that gives some personal background about your goals and interests and your intended major, if you know it. This helps the teacher emphasize those aspects of your academic career. Extracurricular details show that the teacher knows you well, beyond simple acquaintance with your work in your online classroom. Teachers are often asked to assess not only a student’s mastery of a subject, but also his or her maturity, ability to accept criticism and face setbacks, help peers, and act with integrity and courtesy.
• Teachers should not charge or accept payment for writing a letter of recommendation: it would be a conflict of interest to do so. However, if you do get into the school of your choice, you may want to send a thank you gift with the school’s insignia (like a coffee mug) to your teacher, expressing your appreciation for the teacher's support and the educational experience you shared together.

Did you know Scholars Online transcripts are free?

Parents can review their students’ transcripts, and students can review their own transcript information at anytime online. Just log in to your personal Scholars Online Account, and scroll down to the “Show transcript for ... ” button. If you need a formal transcript sent on Scholars Online letterhead for high school programs, internships, scholarships, or college applications, just contact us at accounts@scholarsonline.org with a list of addresses and deadlines. There is no separate charge for formal transcripts; your registration fee covers the costs of mailing a reasonable number of transcripts each year.