Getting Ready for Great Recommendation Letters

The buzz around school right now is all about recommendations.  How do you get the best recommendations for your college applications?  Here are some ideas to receive outstanding recommendations:

Before you start asking teachers, counselor or others for a letter of recommendation, do your homework. It will pay off for you in the end with outstanding recommendations. Here are some to-do’s to consider:

• Focus on familiarity. Make of list of teachers who know you well to ask to write recommendations. Teachers you had in math, science or other core academic subjects more than once make ideal people to ask for letters of recommendations.

• Check in with your school.  Many schools have deadlines and requirements for submitting letters of recommendations. Put dates in your calendar and stick to them.

• Go for the maximum.  The Common App and other systems list how many letters of recommendation are required.  They also give you a number of how many recommendations are allowed.  Plan to request the maximum number.

• Create a Recommendation Calendar. Check the dates your college applications are due, and work backwards. Add all dates to your calendar:► Ask a teacher at least 4-6 weeks before your applications are due for a recommendation.  
  ► Plan for the recommendations to be done 2-4 weeks before your application is due.
  ► If you are doing early applications, you need to be doing recommendations in September or October.

• Update your resume. Give teachers/counselors your resume or brag sheet.  This gives them information to use when writing about yourself.