hey!! as a high school senior in the middle of college apps, i figured i could give some tips on the process for my fellow classmates & any underclassmen trying to start early (pro tip: start as early as you can!) so yeah, here are my tips for teacher recs, the first post in my college apps guide series!
choosing who should write your recommendation can be a stressful process, but itâs the first step! whoever you choose depends on a lot of factors, including: how well they know you personally, how well they know you academically, and how well they know what youâve done & what you do. also, oftentimes colleges require teachers of specific subjects depending on your major, so keep that in mind too. it can be very beneficial to have a teacher who teaches in the field of your chosen major so they can give a perspective on your academic success in that subject.
generally colleges take two recommendations, so itâs important to make sure that your rec letters are a good blend of perspectives and that they are not going to be the same letter. two similar recs are not effective, and you may as well send in one. so when choosing your teachers, make sure that they can bring varying points of view to your letter of rec.
a teacher may know you well academically and personally, or know what youâve done and who you are, so if possible, you want to get all three perspectives within your two recs, and itâs ok if one of them is repeated. however, the one thing you donât want is a teacher whose class you didnât do to great in, even if they know you well. i would personally say to completely rule out that kind of teacher, but if they know you 100% and have seen you grow and change, then i suppose that rec may be viable- but itâs still not the best idea.
this is a pretty formal process, so you donât want to mess up too terribly. youâre essentially asking your teachers to tell a college why it should accept you, so you want to approach them very tactically.
unless youâre asking them over the summer, approach them in person. this establishes that you care enough about their rec that you can meet with them & reminds them of who you actually are so youâre more than just a name asking for a recommendation.
be nice & throw in the compliments (but not too many). you want to sound as genuine as possible, so lay it thick but not too thick. tell them you loved their class & why you loved their class.
and then mention that youâre applying to colleges this fall and would be honored if they could write a rec for you.
those are the basics. a lot of people also give gifts to their teachers, either when asking for a rec or sometimes after. this isnât absolutely necessary, but itâs a nice gesture and makes them happy!
even if a teacher knows you well, it makes things a lot easier for the both of you if you put a majority of your info on paper. many teachers or schools provide forms for you to fill out, but if they donât, hereâs what you could give them:
a resume, with enough descriptions of positions youâve held & things youâve done for them to get the whole picture
a brag sheet, covering your activities, grades, plans for the future, obstacles youâve overcome, what youâd like them to highlight, etc⌠basically put everything you want them to know about you.
whatever you provide them with, make sure it also has: some of your grades or gpa on it, the colleges youâre applying to, and your intended major (if youâre undecided then just let them know youâre undecided)
time!! time is so important. teachers have lives and other things to do, and youâre asking a huge favor when requesting a recommendation, so please keep time in mind, especially if youâre applying early somewhere! they should at least have 2-3 weeks to write your rec (at least!)
also remember an envelope with postage stamp and all that jazz if theyâre mailing the rec letter in. and if youâre requesting a rec online, make sure you actually send in that request. even if youâve asked them for a rec, that request is your responsibility.
check in with your teachers some time after youâve asked them for a rec, especially if youâve electronically requested one, to make sure everythingâs reached them.
stay friendly with them, try to smile if you see them in the halls, just be a nice person in general. once again, theyâre telling a college why it should take you. you want to make a continuously good impression!
++ a lot of these tips apply for counselor recs too! your counselor pretty much knows theyâre writing a rec for you, but you definitely want to make that request (online or in person if thatâs how itâs done) and check up with them + make sure youâre nice to them and they know you. they should be able to recognize your face & know some of what youâve done around the school.
whatâs in a pencil case
i think thereâs an important process to know for teacher recs & i hope i covered everything in enough detail! recs are a very important part of your application, so please donât push them to the side! anyway, i hope this helps!! keep shining like the star you are and remember to be awesome today!!
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