Guest Blog: A High School College Counselor Shares the Dos and Don’ts of Asking for a Letter of Recommendation
Colleges want to get to know who you are! One of the many ways they do this is by asking for letters of recommendation. (USC only requires one, unless you’re applying to a specific program that requires more.) Let’s talk through the basics and etiquette of getting a letter that best represents you! Now I’m going to use the word teacher a lot, because that is the most requested letter by colleges. However, you can sometimes ask other staff members of your school, such as your counselor.
Do ask your teacher if they want you to provide them with any information.
Sometimes teachers will want additional materials from you to help them with writing your letter of recommendation. This is most commonly done in the form of a “brag sheet”, although sometimes teachers may ask for transcripts or other materials as well. The more you can provide your teacher, the more complete and compelling of a letter they can write.
Don’t wait too long to ask.
Three weeks is the minimum notice you should be giving your recommender, but the earlier the better! Here at Colorado Academy, we typically have our Juniors select the teachers they will ask in the Spring. If you’re still thinking about who you want to ask as you read this article, don’t panic! Just make sure to ask as soon as you know which recommenders you want to choose.
Do ask someone who knows you.
Now this one seems self-explanatory. However, students sometimes think that the bigger the title a person has, the better the letter of recommendation will look to an admission counselor. That is simply not true! You should ask someone at your school that knows you and not just ask the principal or head of school for the sake of doing so. And make sure that whoever you ask has seen you in a learning environment. It’s okay if a teacher writes that you are friendly in a letter, but, more importantly, they should be able to speak to one or several of your academic skills.
Don’t base your recommender solely off the grade they gave you.
The letter does not have to come from a class where you got an A! Your work ethic and strengths aren’t always correlated to your end-of-year grade, so remember that it’s ok if you ask a non-A teacher who can still speak to your abilities thoughtfully.
Do ask over email!
This may seem counterintuitive, but in-person requests aren’t always the best way to ask a teacher for a letter. For one, asking them in front of other students or staff could put pressure on them to say yes. It’s important that your recommender has some time to think about if they are the best fit to provide you with a letter. Asking them over email can give them that time to consider your request.
Don’t pester your recommenders about deadlines.
When you ask your recommender to write you a letter, you should provide them a deadline to have their letter completed. Trust that they will send the letter and do not keep asking them if they have done so. Many times, your letter is not the only letter that your recommender will be writing, so know that it will take time for them to submit it (another plug for why you should ask early). If you do want to follow up, first go to your college counselor to ask if a follow up makes sense for your situation.
Do only ask 1-2 teachers.
Your school will typically provide you with a limit on how many people you can ask for a letter of recommendation. If your school does not have a limit, refer to what your colleges are asking for! If they just want one letter, then just ask one person. Stick to that limit and don’t go over! Remember this college process is about quality over quantity—and following the rules!
Do write a thank you letter.
Your recommenders are doing you such a big favor by writing you a letter. Writing a thank you letter is a simple but powerful gesture showing your recommender how much you appreciate their effort.
Now, with these Dos and Don’ts and mind, you can get through the recommendation process smoothly and swiftly! If you have any questions about any of these pointers, refer to your school’s college counselor for specifics on what your school’s best practices are!
Written by: Alex Castro, Associate Director of College Counseling, Colorado Academy