What You Need to Know About Teacher Recommendations

Last Updated on March 30, 2023 by Jill Schwitzgebel

If you’re reading this, you likely already know that colleges care about more than test scores and GPAs when it’s application time. The admissions team wants to get a full picture of who the student really is before making an admissions decision. One way they try to get an idea of what a student is really like is through teacher recommendations.

Asking a teacher for a letter of recommendation is sometimes anxiety-provoking for students. It shouldn’t be! Teachers teaching college prep courses for Juniors and Seniors are frequently asked to write college letters of recommendation and are prepared to be asked.

Here are some guidelines to help students with the process:

WHO to Ask?

• The very first thing that your student needs to do is to check the application requirements for the colleges to which they intend to apply. The college will specify how many teacher recommendations they require, as well as whether they also require a personal recommendation from someone who is not a teacher.
• A general rule is that AT LEAST one of the required teacher recommendations should be from a teacher in a major subject area – Math, English, History or Science. If more than one is required, then it is usually okay to consider asking teachers outside of those subject areas for their recommendation.
• Consider the teachers carefully. Hopefully, students have been cultivating relationships with their teachers throughout high school. But, it is especially important to do that during their Junior year, as colleges prefer to have letters from teachers that students had as upperclassmen. Students should ask for letters from those teachers that they feel know them well and that they believe will write a quality letter for them. It’s an added bonus if the teacher also knows them outside of class as a coach or a club advisor.
• The same guidelines apply for choosing someone to ask to to write a personal recommendation. That recommendation could be from a coach with whom they’ve had a positive relationship, their supervisor at the library where they volunteer, or even from a neighbor whose children they regularly babysit.

WHEN to Ask?

• Sooner than students might think! Students should ask teachers at the end of their Junior year. That gives teachers the opportunity to write those recommendations over the summer when they may be less busy. Additionally, certain teachers get LOTS of requests to write recommendation letters and some of them may even limit the total number they will write for students. Asking early means that students may beat the rush.
• If not at the end of Junior year, students need to ask their teachers really early during their Senior year to give the teacher plenty of time. That means that their Senior class teachers may not know them well yet, so they will likely need to ask their Junior year teachers.

HOW to Ask?

• There is no script to follow to ask the teacher. Hopefully the student is comfortable enough to approach the teacher after class or before or after school to ask if they are able to write a letter for them.
• Be prepared! Students should have some written information about themselves ready to offer the teacher. This is where having a resume ready to go can come in handy. When asking the teacher, students should offer to email them with their resume or other personal information about hobbies, etc. Or, students should be prepared to print something out for the teacher, if the teacher prefers to have the information that way. Students should also provide teachers with a list of schools where they intend to apply.  The teacher may just request that a student complete a “brag sheet” – if they don’t, offer to supply one!
• Sometimes, teachers that get asked to write many letters will even have their own survey that they like students to complete so they can write better letters.
• Sometimes, the most awkward thing is when it is getting close to the deadline, and teachers have not yet submitted the promised recommendation. At that point, it is okay to follow up with them and jog their memory by politely asking if there is anything else they need before writing the recommendation.

WHERE Do Teachers Send the Letters?

• If the student is submitting the Common or Coalition App to colleges, there are links in those applications where students may enter the teachers’ names and email addresses. Teachers then receive an invitation to submit their recommendation letters to that application, and then all colleges that the student authorizes, will be able to receive it. Students cannot see the letters themselves, but will be able to see whether or not the teacher has submitted it.
• If your high school uses Naviance, teachers may also submit their letters on that platform. Students will be able to see from their end whether or not the teacher has submitted their recommendation.

See also:  Should Your Student Sign the FERPA Waiver for College Recommendations?

The Thank You

After teachers submit their recommendations, students should follow up with a thank you note. Teachers always appreciate a handwritten note!
While not at all necessary, students occasionally even like to buy their teacher a pennant, a coffee mug, or even a t-shirt from the college that they decide to attend, as a way to express their appreciation.