Asking for favors is hard and the biggest favor you will have to ask during your junior year is for letters of recommendation. Don’t worry, most teachers won’t say no… you just have to know how to ask and then do it. While you can’t control what your teachers say about you, there are a couple of steps you can take to get the best letter that you can.
Ask the right person
You might be thinking, ‘who should I ask?’ The short answer is two junior year teachers. That being said, the best rec letters come from teachers that you know well and you vibe with. You haven’t talked to your chem teacher once outside of class? He might not be the guy to ask. If you didn’t get along with any of your junior year teachers, it’s ok to ask a sophomore year teacher you had a great relationship with. We don’t recommend asking any freshman year teacher, even if they are your BTF (best teacher forever). You are also going to need one from the college counselor.
Outside your two teachers and your counselor, you might be tempted to submit outside rec letters. The common app has a space for this, but we usually advise against using it. A lot of students really think that more is better, but that’s not true when it comes to your application. It’s like that old Coco Chanel quote, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” (Don’t worry, we don’t agree with her politics, just her fashion advice.)
Applications should be streamlined and without a bunch of fluff. The overworked reader, who is on their 600th application of the day, will be thankful that you didn’t include a letter from your mom’s best friend who went to Dartmouth who hasn’t seen you since you were 8. Our hard and fast rule, if you are dead set on including an outside rec, is it needs to be special. At the very least, the person writing it 1) has to know you well and 2) should be connected deeply with the school. Also if you can snag a letter from Barack Obama we’re okay with that.
Ask early
Teachers have a lot of students and a good teacher will get a lot of requests for rec letters. You don’t want to be at the end of their lists. Make your teacher’s life easier and ask on the early side. We have most of our students try to ask for rec letters around February. However, if you are reading this when we post it, don’t start hyperventilating. If you are late to ask your teachers for recs, be humble, apologize, and make sure to ask nicely. Remember, your teachers want you to succeed. They just would also really appreciate not having to work over their summer vacation.
Come Prepared
Coming prepared is doubly important if you are asking late, but everyone should do it. Think about what would help them write a letter for you. This could include a resume or some bullet points about you. Some teachers will ask for specific info when they agree to the rec, but you can also ask them what they need. “Can I provide you with any information?” is a great start. Sending them a reminder about what you did in class can be helpful. Yes, they have your grade already, but they might not remember the amazing comment they left on your paper last semester. You can also remind them of who you are outside of class. The more information you can give them, the easier it becomes to write about you.
At the very least, you should ask them what they need and be prepared to give it to them quickly. Resumes are among the most popular of asks, so sending them with your request or having them ready can be a big help.
Take these steps and you should come out with rec letters that show off what an impressive young person really you are. Rec letters are the only part of this process that you don’t get to write and edit and stress over yourself. Setting your teacher up with time and info will ensure that they aren’t stressing overwriting it for you.
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