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I plan on applying to a variety of schools, some with the common application and some with their own letter of recommendation forms. What is the best way to ask teachers for letters? If you applying to four schools with four different forms, should you give your teachers all four forms or just ask for a generic letter?

Thanks for your help

By Caseyatbat (Caseyatbat) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 01:39 am: Edit

Good question.
Bump...

By Acennace (Acennace) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 06:17 am: Edit

My guidance counselor just wrote "Refer to the following sheet." on the form and then sealed the form and the letter together in an envelope.

By Dsh (Dsh) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 08:44 am: Edit

The forms probably ask a few simple questions like what class the teacher taught you in and what your grade was. All the forms I've seen say attaching a letter is acceptable. Generally, the teacher must sign the forms.

Just ask your teachers early enough so they have enough time to complete the job without undue pressure. Be aware that they may be getting many such requests from students.

By Ellemenope (Ellemenope) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 10:45 am: Edit

Give all forms with addressed, stamped envelopes to your teacher at once. Get to your teachers early in the year and let them know what the deadline is. And check in with them to make sure they follow through. Last year, someone's teacher never got the letter in and the college didn't review the incomplete application.

Most teachers will fill out any short answer questions and attach a letter. Guidance counselors, who usually do lots more of these recommendations, often don't have time to mess with the forms and may just attach a letter.

By Noodleman (Noodleman) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 11:02 am: Edit

Take this part of your application very seriously. Once the adcoms have whittled down their piles based on GPA and SAT/ACT/SATII tests they will be left with a pile of roughly equivalent students. Two things will help differentiate you from the flock: Essays and Recs. You can go on and on about how great you are in an essay, but to have someone else toot your horn is far more impressive.

1. Make sure you choose the writers carefully. Pick professors/counselors with whom you have been able to forge some sort of a personal bond. They will be far more likely to write a rec that goes beyond the usual "Very smart kid, always prompt" sort of twaddle.

2. Ask early. Ask early. Did I mention ask early?

3. I asked my writers straight out whether I should ask them for a recommendation. Hopefully they'll be honest. Skip this step if it makes you uncomfortable.

4. Give them as much information as possible about the schools you are applying to, what major you're thinking of, etc. This may sound craven, but try to communicate your excitement about the whole process. Most people will be more likely to want to help a student who seems really motivated and earnest. Only a real scrooge would want to rain upon a bright-eyed young person's chances to get into a good school.

Try, if you can, to choose at least one or two profs who teach something related to your intended major. I'm a psych/bio major, so I chose my psych prof, my bio prof, a biomedical ethicist/doctor, and my english prof to show some breadth. (Had I wanted to really gild the lily, I could have chosen my french prof, too, but I didn't.)

All I can think of at the moment. Good luck!

PS: I got into all the schools I applied to and I am pretty sure the recs I had were part of the final decision.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 11:17 am: Edit

Include a cover letter that reminds teachers of what you did in the classes that you took from them (e.g. grades in the class, any special papers you did, any awards that you received for things related to the class, any compliments the teachers gave you), any offices or special things you did for clubs that the teachers advise.

Also include a resume, and, as suggested before, information about what your plans are for college (major, what you are looking for in a college, future career plans).

Doing this is not being immodest or craven. It is helping teachers write you the most supportive recommendation that they can. Do not expect teachers to remember details about what you did in their classes. They have taught hundreds of students, and even if you were a stand-out, you will best remember the important things that you did.

Include stamps and addressed envelopes. Make the teachers' work as easy as possible.

I have written recommendations for students and always appreciated it when students took these steps. It takes me about an hour to write a comprehensive recommendation letter, and I appreciate it when students make my work easier by giving me background info.

Also remember in your cover letter to thank the teachers for taking the time to write the letters. Ask them well in advance (at least 3 weeks) whether they will do the recommendations. If they seem hesitant, take the hint and select someone else!

Give them the dates when the recommendations are due. Follow up with them a week before the due date, and also follow up with the colleges/scholarship programs to make sure the recommendations were received.

After the letters are sent, give the teachers gracious, individualized, hand-written thank-you notes. Don't wait until you get acceptances. Do the thank-yous after all of the letters have been sent.

When you get acceptances, thank them again in person or in writing. Giving a thank-you present is not necessary at all. What teachers most appreciate is a gracious thank-you that includes your saying how the teacher's instruction and assistance has made a nice difference in your life.

By Nmoreno1 (Nmoreno1) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 12:19 pm: Edit

"Hi, Mr./Mrs. X, could I ask you something? Well, I (little Timmy) am applying to college and I wanted to know if I could get a recommendation from you? Hmm? Yeah, I can. Really? Golly! Thanks Sir/Ma'am."

And that's how it happens. Really.

By Noodleman (Noodleman) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 12:25 pm: Edit

Excellent post, Northstarmom! I had forgotten about the thank-you notes!

I only meant it might sound craven -- not that it actually was.

By Susu (Susu) on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 07:20 pm: Edit

Start NOW if you're a high school junior. Spend the summer figuring out which schools you're interested in. Decide which teachers you'll ask to write recs for you next fall, and figure out a backup teacher (someone might quit over the summer). Then ask them THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL. Follow Northstarmom's excellent advice about putting together a package of info, be polite, be polite (did I mention polite?) If they act like they're too busy, don't push--they might be trying to tell you they can't write a wholehearted rec. And limit yourself to three teachers--more is too much.

By Wunderkind__Not (Wunderkind__Not) on Friday, June 04, 2004 - 01:43 pm: Edit

I can understand if one is asking the teachers he/she had during his/her freshman, sophomore, or junior year, however, why would one ask "THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL" if the teachers are teaching one's
senior classes? The teacher would barely know the student.

I am bringing this up because all the schools I visited said that they want either 1. recommendations from senior-year teachers, or 2. recommndations from junior-year teachers.

Preferably, they said that latest courses are better than ones one taken years ago.

I guess if one had a personal connection or absolutely loved the course/teacher, then he/she should ask them, even if they taught during his/her freshman year.

By Chocoman (Chocoman) on Friday, June 04, 2004 - 03:59 pm: Edit

At my school you have to pick up a form at the guidance office where you lists honors, EC's and awards. I gave mine to my French teacher today. Godspeed.

Both the teachers I asked had me for 3 years. I hope that the fact that they know me well will make them write great recs.

By Jacklowey (Jacklowey) on Friday, June 04, 2004 - 06:56 pm: Edit

The best teachers to use are the ones who ask YOU if they can write your recommendations. I wasn't that lucky

By Ellemenope (Ellemenope) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 05:04 am: Edit

Use junior year teachers (unless a sophomore or senior teacher is really excited about you and they know you through extracurricular activities--like Science Olympiad, clubs, etc.).

By Newt (Newt) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 02:45 pm: Edit

Thanks for the suggestions, all! One more thing... How many letters is too much? I am planning on having 3 teachers, 1 guidance counselor and 1 person that knows me well (youth group leader). Does this sound resonable?

By Wishful_Thinker (Wishful_Thinker) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 05:12 pm: Edit

i also have a question: i'm thinking of applying to arround 10 schools and i don't know if i should give them to the same group of teachers or vary them.

i always give them info and a resume, it helps them out alot because sometimes, teachers don't even know what you do outside of the classroom no matter how well they know you.

northstarmom - i feel so stupid that i never though about thank you notes. i think that is very impt!

By Ohio_Mom (Ohio_Mom) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 05:56 pm: Edit

You may also want to have one additional rec in reserve if you elect to send an updated activities letter to the schools in February or March. And yet another if you are trying to get off someone's waitlist (a possibility to plan for in advance!). In my son's school, the GC hold the letters and send them to the schools as needed, or give them to you in a sealed envelope if you send them yourself. As of today, the first is on file, and the second with be in at the end of the week - GC likes to get them done at the end of junior year so there is one less thing to go wrong senior year!

So in our case, thank-you notes WILL be going out soon.