COLLEGE LORs: How to get a good letter of recommendation

When you apply to college, you will be required to submit letters of recommendations aka LORs. These letters will come from teachers and from friends, mentors, and even family. The letters from your teachers will be the most important. But which teachers should you ask? How will you know if they write you a good LOR? What are the deadlines?

Let's start with deadlines because if you miss the deadline then you don't get into a college. Period. No exceptions. So it is critical that you request your LORs before you finish your junior year of high school. That way, you teachers have all summer to get your recommendation written and ready. Then in the fall, you can send them a formal request to upload their LOR into which ever college-app system you have chosen to use (CommonApp, ApplyTexas, CalApp, UCAS, etc)

Remember that the teachers from whom you seek these letters of recommendation are very busy and are asked to write a lot of recommendations. It is so important for you to make the letter writing process as convenient as possible for them.

By following these tips, your recommenders will be able to write the strongest possible letters for you.  

HOW

The easier you make your recommenders job the happier they will be and you definitely want them happy when they are writing your letter!  You should make an appointment to discuss your letter with your potential recommender. Don’t ask for a recommendation letter immediately before or after class, in the hall, or at any other random time. You may make your initial request by email, explaining that you wish to set up an appointment to discuss your plans to apply to college, This gives the teacher a heads up and a chance to think about whether he or she can write a helpful letter on your behalf. Make sure the teacher or advisor is willing to write the letter for you. I doubt you will be turned down, but it is common courtesy to politely ask. Pay attention to signals that a person does not want to write a letter on your behalf. Anything other than a glowing letter can harm your application. If a someone declines to write you a letter, don’t push. Take no for an answer - He or she is doing you a favor.

WHEN

Letters of recommendation, just like other components of your application, have deadlines. Plan ahead, request recommendation letters at least 6 weeks before the deadline (plan for an August 1st deadline), and earlier if possible. Teachers often have other things to do, so asking for a letter of recommendation on short notice will not ensure that they write the best letter of recommendation possible. If you must request one on short notice, explain your circumstances and make sure you ask if the recommender will be able to write one on short notice.

PREPARE

Give the recommender what he or she needs to write an informed letter, including recommendation forms, unofficial transcript, essays, and for sure give them a resume or VC.. Assume that your letter writer knows nothing about you. Provide all information that you think may be helpful or that you would like to appear in the letter of recommendation. 

Being organized will give the recommender a good impression that you are mature and ready for college, plus it makes their job easier, remember the easier, the better pay-off for you! Don't hesitate to ask each recommender for input on your choices of colleges and majors. You may find them very helpful in the decision making process. And a teacher may even offer to review your admissions essay or personal statement. If so, take him or her up on it – and use their advice to improve your overall application.

SUBMIT

How each LOR is submitted will depend on the college you are applying to and the online tool you use to apply. Some tools will allow you to send out an emailed request directly to each recommender. Then the recommender will just upload directly into the tool following directions in that email. Other colleges may want their LORs uploaded by the student into a college portal after you submit your finished application. The key is to know the process,, know the deadlines, and get it done correctly and on time.

FOLLOW UP

It is your responsibility to check with the school or program to make sure that your letters of recommendations have been received.  You can call the admissions office at any time to verify that your application, essay, resume, transcripts, and LORs have each been received and are on file. You may also log into each college's portal where you can often see a checklist of what is needed and anything missing.

Applying to college takes quite a bit of work, but it will be well worth it when you are attending the school you have chosen. Make the entire process as easy for everyone involved as possible by staying organized. You don’t want to put anything off until the last minute, so stay well aware of all deadlines Most of all, remember that your teachers do not owe you recommendations. They understand how important the letters are, and having provided a letter of recommendation for you, they are invested in your future.  Be sure to let them know what you hear from the programs, even if you don’t get the results you are looking for.  Either way, they want to know and they may be able to offer further advice on the next steps you should take.  And don’t forget to thank them for all of their time and effort.