Applying College Well: Getting Great Letters of Recommendation

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Most colleges that require letters of recommendation ask for two from teachers and a secondary school report, usually prepared by a guidance counselor, or in some cases, another school administrator. Along with your essay, these letters can make your application distinctive. Especially valuable are anecdotes that bring a paper file to life—one admissions dean referred to applicants’ files as her “flat friends”—and transform numbers into a real person. Admissions officers also welcome context—descriptions of special challenges a student has faced and overcome, explanations of erratic grades or other unusual aspects of the record, evaluations of the student relative to classmates, among other things. All of this helps the admissions officer develop a fuller picture of the student and distinguishes a student from others with similar stats.

Whom Should You Ask to Write?

Although you obviously have no direct control over what your counselor or teacher writes in a letter, you can increase the chances that your letters will be helpful in making your case for admission. The most important step is approaching the right teachers. First of all, ask teachers who have taught you recently, in the eleventh grade, if possible. The tenth grade is really too far back, and the twelfth grade is probably too fresh. You may only be partway through the semester, and the teacher may not have a lot to write about yet, even if you are very enthusiastic and doing well. Second, teachers who have taught you in more demanding courses, Honors or AP for example, are good choices if you have taken such courses. They can testify to your ability to do more challenging work. That is another reason not to use a tenth-grade teacher; the work is usually not as advanced. Third, be sure to use academic teachers from English, history, math (including computer science), science, and foreign language. Colleges consider these “academic solids.” Journalism, art, music, and drama might be very important to you, and even be a centerpiece of your file, but you should not use these teachers for one of your required teacher references. Have that teacher write a separate, optional letter.

Students sometimes have a difficult time deciding which teachers to ask for a letter of recommendation. The most helpful letters are those written by teachers who know you the best—not necessarily the teachers who gave you the highest grades, though it is nice if both are true. A well-written letter of recommendation should include specific examples of your contributions and achievements. Like a good personal statement, it should show by example rather than simply tell. A teacher who sees you as an active and thoughtful contributor to class discussions will be more able to provide specific examples about you in writing your recommendation. So who among your teachers has seen you at your best? Where did you shine? Did you write a great paper? Did you do some independent research? Help other students with their work? Add to the class energy? That is the teacher you should ask.