How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for College

Of all the anxiety-producing facets of the college admissions process, perhaps none are quite so intimidating as approaching a counselor, teacher or mentor and asking for a letter of recommendation — but you’ve got to do it.

Why are letters of recommendation so important? Essentially, they help the college admissions board see you from another angle.

Your grades, test scores and extracurriculars are, naturally, critical parts of your application, and your personal essay and supplemental essays help the college understand you as you see yourself. A letter of recommendation, however, speaks to how others see you — and that can tell the admissions board a lot about your true character and personality.

So where do you start when it’s time to ask for recommendation letters? Here are some tips:

1. Choose Carefully

Ideally, you’ve made a real connection with a special teacher or two over your academic career — but you don’t have to be a teacher’s favorite student to ask for a letter of recommendation. If it isn’t immediately clear to you which teachers you should ask, consider:

• Which teachers have you worked with most recently? They may have a clearer mental picture of you and your abilities than a teacher from several years ago.
• Which teachers have special insight into your strengths? If you excel in a specific field and intend to major in something related, recommendations from teachers in that area may be particularly helpful.
• What teacher has the most understanding of your strengths? If you completed a special research project for a teacher or worked particularly hard in a class to overcome some difficulty, that teacher may have a unique perception of you that they can share with the college.

Make a list and discuss the options with your parents and your guidance counselors, if you’re unsure.

2. Ask as Early as Possible

You cannot wait until the last moment and expect to get a letter of recommendation — at least, not a good one. A good letter of recommendation can take several hours to complete, and your teacher is doing this on their own time as a favor to you. Give them plenty of time before your deadline.

At a minimum, you probably don’t want to ask any later than a month before the letter is due — but it really isn’t too soon to start asking around the end of your junior year in high school or the start of senior year.

3. Make the Request Personally

Unless email or a phone call is really your only option, make your request to your teacher face-to-face. As intimidating as it may be to ask for this kind of labor-intensive favor, remember: Fortune favors the brave!

What should you say when you make your request? Tell your teacher:

• The name of the college or university to which you’ve applied
• How much you have enjoyed their class and valued their instruction
• When the letter is needed so that you can meet the application’s due date

Stress that you would be both honored and grateful if they have time in their schedule to do this for you.

4. Provide the Right Tools

At a minimum, make sure that your teacher understands how the letter of recommendation needs to be submitted. If the college of your choice still wants the letter via snail mail, provide your teacher with a stamped, addressed envelope they can use.

In addition, ask your teacher if there’s anything they need from you to make writing the letter a little easier. Your teacher may have dozens or hundreds of students at a time, so it doesn’t hurt to give your teacher a copy of your transcript and a sample of your work in their course. They may have additional questions for you about your academic goals and other experiences, so be prepared to spend a little time talking about yourself, if needed.

5. Follow-up Appropriately

Just like most things in life — a strong follow-up is important. About two weeks before your letter is due, reach out to your teacher to see if there’s anything else you need to provide and thank them in advance for their effort and time.

Finally, don’t forget to send a thank-you note to your teacher as promptly as possible after the letter of recommendation is sent. Let them know how much you appreciate what they’ve done for you.

While this can be a daunting process, you’ve already put in all the hard work and overcome whatever obstacles were in your way to get here — and you can do this! It’s also perfectly fine to seek a little guidance and direction throughout your application process.