5 Ways to Guarantee Strong Letters of Recommendation

Seniors, if you haven’t secured recommenders for your college applications, now is the time to take action. Many colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other individuals who can speak to your academic and personal promise on a college campus. For schools that don’t require recommendations for the admission process, recommendations are often helpful (and required) for honor colleges or other special scholarship programs. In short, it’s important to consider who might recommend you and request those recommendations soon. Here are five tips to guarantee strong letters of recommendation:

Consider who can best recommend you - Most colleges want to hear directly from an academic teacher. While coaches, mentors, and employers can offer valuable feedback, your teachers will be able to speak to your abilities in the classroom, which is, after all, pretty important to the colleges. We recommend asking at least two teachers who have taught you in a core academic subject in junior or senior year. We would consider it a bonus if you ask at least one teacher who is directly tied to your intended major. Colleges will appreciate the insight into your recent academic accomplishments and abilities. 

Request early - Give your recommenders plenty of lead time (at least three weeks) to complete the process. Do not ask them the week before (or worse, the day before) a significant deadline. Respect your recommenders and their time by asking early and providing plenty of time for them to prepare and submit a recommendation without feeling rushed. 

Clearly communicate what you need - Know what you need, how you need it, and when you need it. Will you invite your recommenders through Common App, Naviance or the college’s portal? Do you need a hard copy of the letter or will your recommender complete their recommendation online? These are details that you will need to determine based on each college’s process. Passing this information on to your recommenders will ensure that the process is completed correctly. 

Send a copy of your resume to your recommender - To help your recommenders understand all that you’ve been involved in through high school, give them a copy of your resume to use as a reference in their recommendation. This will give them the information they need to include important details they might forget or not be aware of otherwise.

Provide a list of colleges and deadlines - If possible, provide a list of your colleges with the deadline you need met for each school. Even if your recommenders are completing their recommendations through Naviance or Common App, dates and deadlines sent to your recommenders in a separate document can be a helpful and thoughtful gesture.