Top Ten Tips For Getting Letters of Recommendation For College Applications

If you’re a high school student applying to college, you will need a great letter of recommendation from your teacher. How do you go about getting one? Here are the top ten tips that will help you meet your goal of a great letter of recommendation.

Tip #1 Get Your Paperwork In Order
Luck favors the prepared. Get your paperwork together before you approach your teacher for the letter of recommendation. Your teacher will be impressed if your paperwork is complete. You will need, at the minimum

• A cover letter detailing what you are asking for
• An up to date resume highlighting your academics, awards (if any), and extra-curricular activities (in and out of school)
• An up to date transcript of all the courses you’ve taken. Start with the AP courses, advance courses, college level courses (if any)
• Your current GPA and rank
• Your personal essay (if it is ready)
• Recommendation forms (if any)
• Due date of the application
• Mailing instructions
• Pre-addressed stamped envelope for the teacher to mail your letter of recommendation to its destination

Tip #2 Select Your Target Teacher
The teacher should be in one of the four core disciplines (Math, Science, English, History). If you plan to major in a foreign language, your foreign language teacher will also suffice. Colleges are looking for how well your core teacher perceives you. Unless there are special circumstances, do not ask your ‘Typing’ teacher or your ‘Health’ teacher to write your letter of recommendation.

Tip #3 How To Ask Your Target Teacher
Do it in person, and be polite. Remember you are asking someone for a favor that will require at the minimum, several hours to several days of work. The only benefit for the teacher is the knowledge that they have helped a student.

Tip #4 What If My Target Teacher Says No
Thank your lucky stars because you just dodged a bullet. The only reason your target teacher will say no to you is because he/she does not think highly enough of you to take the time to write your letter of recommendation. You may think you have found someone who will craft a glowing letter of recommendation for you. His/her refusal says the teacher does not know you well enough to do so. Do not ask again. Look around and ask another teacher you bypassed in the first round.

Tip #5 Get To Know Him/Her
Now that you’ve selected your target teacher, get to know him/her. Ask questions in class, even if you already know the answer. Ask your teacher how he/she got to be a teacher. Show an interest in the person who is teaching you. Short of outright brown-nosing, your target teacher should know you and genuinely like you.

Tip #6 Let Him/Her Know Your Goals
If your teacher knows you will be applying to a certain school or for a certain major, then he/she will have a better idea what to emphasize in the letter of recommendation. Talk about your goals. Intended science majors should have a letter of recommendation that underscores interest or achievement in that discipline. Intended business majors should have a letter of recommendation that addresses business acumen.

Tip #7 The Early Bird Gets The Worm
Don’t wait until the last minute. Ask your teacher in the first month of your senior year. This will give your teacher at least two months to work on your letter of recommendation before the earliest due date of November 15^th (for Early Decision Applicants).

Tip #8 First Follow-up
After your target teacher has agreed to write your letter of recommendation. Ask him/her if there is anything you can do to make their job easier, and if it’s alright if you check back with them after 2-3 weeks to see if everything is on track. If the teacher says no, that they will take care of it; then you should back off. You can always check the status of the college application to see if any letters of recommendation has arrived. If the teacher says yes, then follow through and ask them exactly 2-3 weeks later. Some teachers need the reminder to take care of everything on their plate. They probably have many other students who have also asked them to write letters of recommendation for them.

Tip #9 Waive The Right To Review The Letter of Recommendation
Colleges will value letters of recommendation that have not been reviewed by the applicant more than those who have.

Tip #10 Follow Up With a Thank You Letter
After you have confirmed that the letter of recommendation reached its destination, follow-up with a hand written thank you note to the teacher. Also, sometime during your first semester at college, send the teacher a note. Tell them how much you are enjoying school, how much you appreciate their letter, and how it helped you to get where you are today. Traditionally, high school students move onto college and the rest of their lives without ever looking back, until their 10^th or even 25^th High School Reunion. Not only will your follow-up be an unexpected and pleasant surprise, you will have earned some respect and long lasting good will from someone who’s touched your life. Many college students return to their high schools to mentor juniors and seniors on what to expect in college. This act of altruism and paying back will look especially good for your resume and your karma.

While your transcript, standardized test scores, and personal essay are important elements in your college application; a great letter of recommendation from your teacher will give you that extra push into the ‘Accepted’ pile. It paints a more complete picture of the candidate that the other submissions do not. It is written by someone who’s interfaced with you every school day for the past year. Never underestimate the value of a well written letter of recommendation.