How to Ask for the Best Letter of Recommendation

How To Ask:

• E-mail your teacher to set up an in-person meeting, if possible. Showing initiative to take the time out of your busy schedule emphasizes your commitment. 

• If meeting in person is not possible, send a detailed e-mail to your chosen teacher(s) or advisor(s) politely outlining your request, timeframe (i.e. by October 15th), and an idea of disciplines you’re pursuing (I’m considering pursuing a journalism track in college), and schools you’re applying to (I’m applying to Northeastern Liberal Arts schools). 

• Make this extra task as straightforward as you can for your teachers by including a resume that briefly outlines your activities at school, interests outside the classroom, and future objectives.

• Give teachers bullet points with positive, detailed information about personal achievements and ultimate potential to refresh their memory and simplify the writing process. Some things to include would be:

o   Your class participation (“regularly contribute in harkness discussions in British Lit”);

o   Specific work or project you’re proud of (“I put a lot of effort and passion into my Spanish portfolio of 16th-century Art”);

o   What you learned in class and how that would translate into your chosen discipline (“Fully understanding the research process gave me the problem-solving skills to succeed in a communications field in the future”);

o   Challenges you overcame (“Despite a rocky start to term III of junior year, I was proactive to regularly meet with academic support at tutorial three times a week, participated in study groups, and had earned a 92 by the end of the quarter”);

o   Specific examples of work (bring a portfolio of work you’re most proud of—that award-winning essay, an oil canvas for the art exhibition, your statistics project, etc.);

o   Accomplishments, hobbies, and plans for college and the future (Encourage your teacher to clearly connect your academic achievement thus far to your future pursuits)