Tips for letters of recommendation
Top Three Takeaways:
- Ask in spring of junior year.
- Choose teachers who know you.
- Provide a resume so they know more about all of your activities.
From the Pros
From Scott E. Queener, Ph.D., Director, Student Success, Lincoln Land Community College: Ask individuals who can speak to your academic strengths or work ethic, such as current and former teachers or your supervisor at work. Be sure to give them plenty of time to write the letter; don’t ask them a couple of days before the letter is due. Also, it is appropriate to suggest things that they can include in the letter.
From Springfield Academic: Choose teachers that really know you. If you cannot think of any teachers that really “know” you, it is time to get to know your teachers.
From Mary Beth Stephens, MBS College Coaching LLC: Ask teachers who you have a good relationship with. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a teacher in whose class you got an A.
From the Moms
From Denise Beauman: Get one from a teacher or advisor and one from someone who knows you personally.
From Lisa Whelpley: My son verbally asked teachers in May of junior year. The last week of junior year, he emailed them, thanking them, and said that he’d follow up after summer. The first week of senior year, he emailed again, thanking them for agreeing to write a recommendation and at that point he attached his resume, aka “brag sheet.” They told him that they appreciated his prompt request and his follow-up. He also had an employer write a letter of recommendation for the Common App.
From Julie Kaiser: Ask for letters early from teachers you respect and admire, preferably the spring of junior year.
From Angela Try: Ask for them the spring of your junior year and give the teacher your resume. They may know you from class, but not all of your activities.
For more information on a college resume, click here.
