Recommendation Letters Uncovered

Seniors & Families,

It is almost October 1st...and as a college counselor, that only means one thing. No not football, apple picking, or the leaves changing...it means deadlines! We have been talking about college admissions and the application process for close to a year now...and now the first deadlines are around the corner...we can see them, and for some, that can make us very nervous! But no need to worry, you got this! 

You have your list of colleges, you are working through the applications, you are ready to send your SAT/ACT scores, and you talked to your teacher months ago in order for her to commit to writing your letter...right? Many already have a teacher committed to writing a letter, others are just learning they need a teacher recommendation letter as they are reading this. If you fall in the latter category, don't freak out, but right now is the time to find a teacher and ask (beg) for a letter. 

You may be asking yourself, why do colleges need letters of recommendation...they already have so much information on me?! You are right, they have your grades, test scores, writing sample, resume, and more. However, with thousands and thousands of students applying to each college, admissions counselors love to hear about who you are, from someone else...who is not a family member. 

The teacher recommendation gives colleges a snapshot of who you are as a student, in the classroom. Do you participate in class? Do you work well with others? Are you prepared for exams? Have you shown growth? All of these questions and more are important bits of information for admissions counselors to know about an applicant. Remember, the number one reason you attend college is to gain a degree...and you need to go to class for that. The counselor letter of recommendation gives a broader perspective of who the individual is, not only as a student, but as a young man or woman in the community and beyond. 

NACAC, which is the governing body of the college admissions world, published a survey a few years ago placing recommendation letters, behind only the transcript and test scores as the most important pieces of a student's application. Hopefully by now, you realize that letters are crucial...and if you are a senior and you do not have a teacher writing a letter yet, you need to find one! Below you will find super important information when deciding on which teacher to ask, so try and 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 knows 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 (not too much time now though!) 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, potentially 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
Director of College Counseling