#rec letters
this post is really late, but i thought a post about rec letters could be really helpful for future classes !!!
why are rec letters important?
- they allow colleges to receive a more in-depth academic profile of you than a transcript or GPA
- teachers can directly communicate with a college to advocate for you
- these letters are written from a more objective standpoint than your own portrayal of yourself in your application
how do i decide who should write my rec letters?
- first, look at your college’s specific requirements for a recommendation letter
- this will be found on the college’s undergraduate applications website
- ex: some colleges want a one counselor rec and one teacher rec, some want three recs with two teachers and an out-of-school source, etc. you just have to make sure to look
- most colleges want two letters of recommendation by two different teachers
- should be teachers from your junior/senior years, or one who has taught you for multiple years
- i personally would recommend one math/science teacher and one humanities teacher
- pick a teacher…
- whose class you got a good grade in
- whose class you genuinely enjoyed
- who knows you on a personal level
- who will be able to write a personal, customized letter, not just a generic one. colleges will be able to tell if they actually know you and appreciate you as a student based on their language
- who you worked with outside the classroom or in an extracurricular setting (bonus, not required)
when should i ask a teacher for a rec letter?
- as soon as possible
- seriously, these teachers will be swamped with requests for rec letters. the sooner you ask them the sooner yours will be done and the better it will be
- ask your teachers during…
- the end of junior year
- the summer in between junior and senior year
- very early in the fall of senior year
how do i ask a teacher for a rec letter?
- there are two ways to ask:
- pros: you have a digital record of asking them and it’s easier to trade information
- cons: the request could easily get lost
- in-person
- pros: the request is more personal and the teacher is more willing to help when seeing an actual person
- cons: you can’t keep reminding them or pestering them, otherwise your teacher will be annoyed
- i personally would ask in-person, and then use emails to exchange information or send reminders
- once your teacher has accepted your request, send them the following soon after:
- a list of colleges they need to send these letters to
- any of the colleges’ guidelines or requirements for rec letters
- due dates for the rec letters
- a résumé (this is just nice for the teacher to have)
- any things you want them to explicitly mention in your letter (ex: if you worked really hard on a twenty-page research paper for that class)
- anything else they ask for
❔❕okay, now what?
- congrats! you just secured yourself some kickass rec letters
- continue to gently remind your teacher until the letters are sent, and send more information if they need it
- don’t pester or overdo it
- your teachers will send their letters to your colleges
- if any problems arise, the teacher will fix it (this year my biology teacher accidentally sent the wrong document so she called all the schools to let them know and she was able to reupload my letter)
- BREATHE. SMILE. RELAX.
i hope this post is helpful! if you have more questions about rec letters or the college process in general, message me !!!
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