Teacher Recommendation Letter Tips

This information should be helpful for all students, especially seniors in the middle of the application process. Almost all colleges will require at least one teacher recommendation, as a crucial part of the application process. When deciding on which teacher to ask, remember these important tips:

Stick to a junior or senior year teacher…possibly a sophomore year teacher. Students have changed from freshmen year and admissions counselors want to see the type of person and student they will be receiving and the more recent the evaluation the better!

Ask a teacher who really know you. Don’t just ask the teacher that you received an ‘A’ in, but the teacher that you were able to connect to. It’s OK if this class wasn't the highest grade you received, but if the teacher can talk about your learning style, participation, work ethic, ability to work with others, leadership, and other important qualities in a way that really brings you to life, will lead to the most effective recommendation. Take time in deciding who to ask, and feel free to ask the teacher if they believe they know you well enough to write a helpful recommendation.

If you know your major, request a teacher recommendation from a class in that subject area. For instance, if you are planning to apply to the engineering department, it would be helpful for colleges to hear from a high school math or physics teacher. This will help counselors determine your ability to perform in that field.

Give your teacher a heads-up! Teachers do not have to write these recommendation letters, but do so to give their students the best chance in the college application process. Students should never ask a teacher for a recommendation right before the deadline. Give your teachers at least one month before the college deadline. This will result in a happy teacher and a much more positive recommendation!


Do not over burden admissions offices with extra recommendations. Admissions counselors read thousands of applications and recommendations each year. If students start sending in extra recommendations, this will often annoy and frustrate the counselors, which may not be good for the student hoping to impress the counselor. Stick to the school’s requirements and you will be fine!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

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