Letters of Recommendation
Most but not all college applications will ask you to submit a letter of recommendation from a counselor and/or a teacher.
Do not submit more letters of recommendation than the college requests.
The Letter of Recommendation is Important!
Admissions officers do read the Letters of Recommendation.
The Letter of Recommendation provides a subjective description of you as a student and community member.
Hopefully the LOR will set you apart from the other applicants who have similar objective stats, i.e. SAT/ACT scores, GPA, and rank.
Who To Ask?
Academic Teachers
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Preferably in core courses
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However if you are applying to a particular major related and you took a related course in high school, then that would be a good choice. You want to be sure you showed passion for the subject, did well in class and related to the teacher.
Preferably a Teacher from Junior year
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This is the most recent experience with you in the classroom
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However, if you had several classes with a teacher in 9th and 10th grade and they know you well, then that could be a good choice
Want a Teacher Who Will Write a Positive Recommendation
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You want someone who is enthusiastic about you
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You want someone who can describe your work ethic. This could be a class that you did not ace, but you worked hard in, worked with the teacher, and showed improvement in the class.
Want a Teacher Who Knows You
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A teacher that can write a personal letter and speak with confidence about you
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A teacher that can write in detail about your strengths, skills, passions and integrity.
How To Ask?
Be Nice and Courteous When Asking
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Use the words “Please” and “Thank You”
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The teacher is doing you a favor by taking time to write the Letter of Recommendation
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Stop by the teacher’s desk before or after school or after class so as not to interrupt teaching
Provide All the information They Need​​
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Find out what they need from you: Letter with list of colleges, what you plan to major in, your resume
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Does your school use Naviance and require you to use that platform to handle letters of recommendation
When To Ask?
Preferably in the spring of junior year before summer
At the end of April or beginning of May
Teachers have more time in summer to write the Letter of Recommendation
No later than beginning of Senior Year
Follow-Up!
Absolutely follow up with a thank you note to the teacher!
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It takes time and thought to write a good quality Letter of Recommendation.
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If they receive your thank you note, but have not finished your Letter, they might put yours on the top of the pile of requests and complete it sooner.
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Finally, in the spring, write a note to the teacher letting them know where you decided to attend.