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College Entrance Guide

IB Coordinator and College Counselor: Barbara Kuhl

PART SIX: REQUESTING TEACHERS' RECOMMENDATIONS

Most colleges or universities will request teachers’ recommendations to accompany the application. Ideally you should ask teachers from 11th grade who have taught you in an academic subject. These teachers have witnessed your progress over a full year. The teacher who gave you the highest grade may not be the one who is likely to write you the best recommendation; it is more important that the teacher know you well. Once you have decided whom you would like to write your recommendations, ask him/her by October 15. If you have not yet received the forms from the colleges, you should still ask teachers. Then let the teachers know that you will deliver the forms as soon as you receive them. Faculty should know by October 15 how many recommendations they will have to write. They also know that they need not honor requests made after this deadline. Follow these guidelines:

• You must ask in person. The faculty will not want to write recommendations for students who merely leave notes on their desks. Also, it is probably best to ask them at the beginning or after class, rather than in the lunch area. Remember to be tactful and polite: a teacher is under no obligation to write for you and may feel s/he cannot honor your request.

• Ask the same two teachers to do all your recommendations, and let them know how many there will be altogether. [Most teachers will write a letter than they can duplicate and attach to the form you give them.] Once they have written them, you should probably send both to all of your colleges (even if they don’t require them or only ask for one – these letters are typically very well written and helpful to any college.)

• If you are applying to a technical institution or indicating science or engineering as a proposed field of study, one of your teacher reports should be from a math or science teacher.

• Most schools have an application that can be completed on-line, and when you enter the teachers’ email address, this will enable teachers to post their recommendations on-line, too. However, if you are filing a paper application and sending it in the mail, you must provide the teacher with a stamped, addressed, self-sealing envelope for each recommendation. Put the teacher’s name with LILA’s return address (not your own!) on the envelope. Be sure to indicate the due date somewhere on the envelope in pencil. Teachers will not send recommendations unless provided with a stamped self-sealing envelope.

• Always ask the teacher if there is anything else s/he needs from you to write an effective recommendation.

• Always thank your teacher in writing for their help. Recommendation writing is a time-consuming task. Often the only pay-off for teachers is your warm, genuine appreciation. Also let them know how things work out later in the year; they are interested in your future.

Recommendation Form