How recommendations can make (or break) an application

Have you already asked teachers to write recommendation letters in support of your college applications? If not, you can be sure that some of your classmates have – and that by not doing so soon, you can put yourself at a serious disadvantage in the admissions process.

For most selective colleges, you’ll need two or three letters or recommendation. Your guidance counselor will tackle the first – and then you should have one or two teachers write the others.

How do you pick the right teachers? Here are three tips:

• Be sure that the teacher knows you well. Did you participate in class? Or slump in the back counting down the minutes to the bell?
• Choose teachers whose classes you excelled in. Ideally, these should also be in subjects related to what you plan on majoring or studying in college.
• Are there teachers you worked with outside of class? Maybe one was a club adviser or a coach. If so, he or she will have a better understanding of who you are.

Consider the number of students in your class. Now think of how many teachers there are at your high school. You don’t need to be a statistician to understand that, in all likelihood, each teacher will be writing at least one – but more likely – multiple letters of recommendation. Now do you see why asking early is important?

Teachers write letters of recommendation in addition to their other many responsibilities. So, be kind and allow enough time for him or her to write an excellent letter. Make it easy by providing an informal résumé about yourself, including your ideas for college majors, and your extracurricular and work experience so that the teacher knows more about you.

Don’t hold back on letting your recommenders know all the great things about you, so that they can put that information in their letters and convey to colleges why you should be admitted.

Still haven’t asked? Stop reading – and get to it!