As students and teachers head back to school in August, many seniors will be lining up for a college recommendation from that teacher — the one who praised every essay they wrote, continuously remarked on how insightful their classroom contributions were, or simply seemed to like them. A good teacher recommendation certainly can give a boost to a student’s college application, rounding out the student’s narrative or providing third-party affirmation of a student’s own portrayal of themselves.

Below are several considerations to be made when approaching teachers for recommendations and my tips for getting the best recommendations possible.

Whom to Ask for A Recommendation

• First and foremost, find out what the recommendation requirements are at each of the colleges to which you are applying. Some colleges have quotas on the number of letters they will accept and may even specify that a recommendation be from a teacher in a core subject, such as math, English, social studies or science. Most colleges prefer recommendations from junior-year or senior-year teachers, though they likely will be more accepting of letters from sophomore-year teachers for the Class of 2022. (Note that some colleges don’t accept teacher recommendations at all; that is good to know before asking a teacher to write one).

   

• Secondly, consider the role your recommendation will play; what do you want your teachers’ letters to say about you? The answer may depend on the rest of your application and what it already reveals. Is there a quality about you that is missing or that your teacher can confirm? Perhaps it’s intellectual curiosity, depth of insight, cooperation with others, or engagement in the classroom. Or maybe you are trying to get into a certain major and want your teacher to talk about your aptitude in that field.

   

• Once you know which teachers you can approach and what you want your letter to say about you, consider which teacher(s) will best convey this message. Think about your relationship with each teacher, your performance in their classes, as well as how well you believe the teacher will communicate in their letter.

How to Ask for A Recommendation

• Once you’re ready to request a recommendation, send your teacher(s) an email stating exactly what the recommendation is for (e.g., a general recommendation for several colleges, a recommendation for a particular college or program, a scholarship application), so they know how specific to be in their letter.

   

• In your email, be specific about what you hope the college will learn about you through their letter (see above examples: intellectual curiosity, etc.). Remind your teachers what you learned in their classes, favorite projects you completed, or class discussions you led to jog their memories of your contribution to their class.
  
  Attach a copy of your college resume to your email, so your teachers can write about you in context.
  
  Explain to your teachers how and when to deliver their letter:
  
  
  • If you are using the Common Application, you will input your teachers’ email addresses, and the Common App will send your teachers instructions for uploading their letters. This only has to be done once, regardless of how many schools you’re applying to. Be sure to waive your rights to review recommendations under the FERPA Release Authorization so your letters will carry more legitimacy.

     

  • If you are using ApplyTexas, your teachers will either have to upload their letters to the college’s portal once you have applied (and you will have to provide instructions on how to do that), or they will send the letter directly to the university or sometimes to you to forward on.  Each college typically conveys their preference on their website or in their portal once they receive your application. If you do not have the details on exactly how to transmit the letter to a particular school when you request your recommendations, tell your teachers when you will get back to them with that information.

     

• Give teachers a minimum of two weeks to write and submit a recommendation and always follow up with a thank-you letter (preferably handwritten and delivered in person or through the mail).