Recommendations

Letters of recommendation are required by many colleges. Although the requirements vary from school to school, a common requirement is two teacher recommendations (sample here) and a school report completed by your counselor or other administrator (sample here).

Who Should Write Your Recommendations

When selecting people to write your recommendations, ask:

• Who knows me well?
• Who appreciates my talents and contributions?
• Who has taught me recently?
• Who can do a good job of communicating my strengths?

If you're not sure about a recommender, just ask! You might hear that a recommender is excited to help, needs to get to know you better, or is too swamped to write the strong recommendation you deserve. All those responses are valuable--you don't want to settle for a so-so recommendation!

When selecting a recommender, be sure to follow the instructions on the application. Many schools have specific requirements, like "give this form to a teacher who has taught you an academic subject." Colleges won't be happy if you ignore the instructions--for instance, by having your coach, employer, or music teacher write that recommendation. If you really, really want input from a recommender who doesn't fit the requirements, ask the college if they'll accept an additional recommendation.

How To Get Great Recommendations

Ideally, you should build a good relationship with your recommenders well before asking them to write recommendations for you. Take part in discussions, ask questions, do work you're proud of, and generally show that you're an engaged student.

When it's time to get your recommendations written, politely ask your would-be recommenders whether they'd be willing. You don't want recommendations from people who, for whatever reason, don't feel they can write great recommendations for you!

Once you've got your recommenders on board, give them the materials they need:

• A cover letter, including deadlines
• The recommendation form(s)
• Pre-addressed, stamped envelopes
• Your transcript
• Your resume or "brag sheet"
• A copy of your college admissions essay(s)

If there are certain aspects of your application you'd like your recommenders to address or highlight--anything from your weak grades during sophomore year to your awesome creative writing project--schedule a time to talk. The better your recommenders understand your strengths, passions, and evolution, the more detailed and convincing they can be in their letters.

On the recommendation forms, waive your right to review the recommendation. That way, colleges know that a teacher is praising you sincerely, rather than out of fear you might read the recommendation.

When To Request Recommendations

Make sure your recommenders have plenty of time. Aim to give your recommenders a month, if not more. Why start early? First, the more time they have to write a quality recommendation, the better. Second, if you start early, they won't be distracted by dozens of other students' recommendation requests.

Check in with your recommenders a week before the deadline. One polite approach is to say, "As you know, my recommendation for X is due next week. Is there any more information I can provide or is there anything I can do to help?"