How to Get a Great Letter of Recommendation

While the requirements for your college applications will vary a bit from school to school, everybody wants a letter of recommendation.

A great letter of recommendation can be the shining star on top of the already impressive — but impersonal — transcript you have that shows your classes, your grades and your test scores. A weak and unenthusiastic letter of recommendation, however, can sour the whole thing and put your chance of admission in real jeopardy.

So, how do you get those perfect letters of recommendation that you need? You ask for them, of course! How you go about it, however, can make all the difference. Here are some tips that can help you get on the right track:

Look at Your Applications

Some schools want a letter from a guidance counselor, while others will ask for a letter from a teacher who has actually taught you in class. Some may want both, while others may leave it up to you. The odds are high that you’ll need to approach several different people to get the letters you need, especially if you’re applying to multiple schools.

Consider Your Options Carefully

You’ve had a lot of teachers and guidance counselors over the years — but not everybody’s perspective of you will be weighted the same when it comes to letters of recommendation. To get a letter that will really help:

• Consider the teachers you’ve had most recently, especially either current teachers or those you had in junior year. They can give a school a much better perspective on who you are today than a teacher who taught you three or four years ago.
• Consider teachers, coaches and advisors who have worked with you outside the classroom. For example, the teacher who directed your science club or the coach who has watched you and your lacrosse skills develop over the last four years might be ideal candidates.
• Think about other people in your life that might have a close-up perspective of you as a person. For example, your boss at your job or an industry mentor who has helped you explore your field of interest or guided you through an independent research project could be excellent options.

Ask for the Letter as Early as Possible

Teachers and guidance counselors write a lot of recommendation letters every year, so make sure you are conscious of their time. That could be hours of extra work on their part, none of which are paid. The sooner you ask for the letter of recommendation, the better, so ask at least one month (preferably longer) ahead of your application deadline.

Start with the Difficult Question First

If a teacher, counselor or professional isn’t that keen on writing a letter, you won’t get the recommendation you need. To make sure that your letter writers are genuinely supportive of you, start with the hard question first. Ask, “Would you be comfortable recommending me, in writing, for this school? And do you have the time?”

That gives anybody who doesn’t really want to put the effort into your recommendation letter an opportunity to politely decline. If they offer an explanation, listen carefully for clues that could help you pick a better candidate. If they don’t, don’t press (and don’t obsess — their decision to decline may have nothing to do with you). Spend your energy on trying to locate the right person to write your letter, instead.