Admissions What is the letter of recommendation?

[Grands]

My suggestion would be to make friends with the guidance counselor, but then again, I don't know if Italy has guidance counseling that's comparable to what's seen in the US.

We don't have a guidance counseling.

The test is based on very simply mathematical questions, like trigonometry, thing that almost anyone who went to high school know.
Like I said before you don't have to pass it.

 

[CrysPhys]

TeethWhitener
Thanks for trying to explain some of the differences from other places' systems.

Many here have found at least some aspects of Grands accounts of the Italian education system to be not credible. But I'd like to point out that I graduated high school in Massachusetts in the early '70s. If I recall correctly after all these decades, the policy then was that any student who graduated from a Massachusetts high school was guaranteed admission into U. of Mass. You still had to submit a formal application and receive a formal acceptance, but acceptance was guaranteed. It was the ultimate "safety" school, and our guidance officers told us all to apply even if we were confident of getting accepted to better schools. I no longer live there and don't know whether that policy still holds.

 

[mathwonk]

Indeed, I seem to recall that in the 1980's one of my Italian friends said that students often registered at laSapienza just to be able to eat at the presumably heavily subsidized cafeteria, but with no interest in completing a course of study.

 

[mathwonk]

The whole system was somewhat eccentric. The university librarians' union was very powerful and forced the closure of the research library daily at noon. Even though I was a university researcher I was obliged to quit the library and continue my research at home in the afternoon.

 

[mathwonk]

In spite of some eccentricities, there are excellent faculty members in the Italian system, from whom one could certainly learn a lot. All the professors I listed above are internationally recognized experts in algebraic geometry. Another such is Professor Van Geemen, who appears in the second link from Teethwhitener as Head of studies in mathematics at Univ of Milano. He is originally from Holland but has been in residence in Italy for some time. So the Italian system also attracts experts from abroad.

 

[donpacino]

We don't have: letter of recommendation, letter of motivation, academic transcript, SAT, ACT, Portfolio.

In the link you posted there is a section for passing year 2 and 1 tests, which replaces the sat and act.
A portfolio is simply a collection of the work you have done. many colleges in the US don't require it either, but it can help you get in. Even if an Italian university doesn't require it, you might consider making one. Same with your transcript. If they arent required for application and no one ever submits them, then you really shouldn't even be asking for advice, because apparently you can get into any itallian university by passing high school.

 

[CrysPhys]

If they arent required for application and no one ever submits them, then you really shouldn't even be asking for advice, because apparently you can get into any itallian university by passing high school.

Grands' lead-off post concerned application to a UK university. Most of his questions stem from major differences between practices in Italy and practices in other countries, should he decide to apply outside of Italy.

 

[symbolipoint]

Hi guys.
My question is, what is the letter of recommendation ?
Is basically a letter wrote by a teacher for a student that want to go to the university?

How it works?

I noticed that if I want to apply for Uk universities I need one.

Thanks.

Grands's question here seems to be answered now. The thing he would consider now, is what might he do between now (still in high school) and the time of preparing his application package for a UK university, so that someone (boss, supervisor, manager, teacher) will know enough about his work and habits to be able to write a letter of recommendation.