With luck your teachers will be happier to see you than this one is!  The reason is that you will likely be needing one or two of them to write a recommendation for you. Here are guidelines that will help you with the recommendation process.

Choose wisely

Choose teachers in different academic subjects who have known you a while, and who you are sure have a good opinion of you (it can be awkward, but if you are not sure, you should ask!). You generally need to have letters from 11th or 12th grade teachers. It's wonderful if your recommender also knows you in another context (like the physics teacher who also coaches your chess team). It also helps when your recommenders are from your areas of special interest or talent.

Sometimes colleges may require recommendations from teachers from different fields (e.g., one humanities and one science/math), or recommendations from particular fields for certain applicants (e.g., a science recommendation from a prospective engineering student).

You can send an extra recommendation (unless explicitly instructed not to), but don't overdo it. If the college asks for one recommendation, send two!

Sometimes letters can help address a "hole" in your transcript, like one from a tough teacher who explains that your B- is an excellent mark because she gives out only a handful of A's and you worked very hard for the grade.

Ask early and in person

Approach your teachers personally at the end of your junior year, and if they agree, follow through by giving them the necessary materials as soon as all of your applications are available in the fall. Some teachers will want to have a meeting with you to talk about the recommendation. Some teachers may have their own recommendation request form for you to fill out. Take such a form VERY seriously, and think of it as a chance to write your own recommendation. Even if the teacher doesn't require a form, you may want to include a cover note that mentions some highlights of your participation in the class (“You chose my sonnet for the literary magazine.”). You might ask them if they would like to see a resume or a copy of your essay. Give them at least one month’s notice!

Online recommendations

Many high schools are using online options for teacher recommendations through the Common Application or Naviance. When you fill out your Common App online, you will be asked to supply your teachers' e-mail addresses, and they will be notified by e-mail that you are formally requesting a recommendation from them. The process proceeds from there entirely electronically.

Paper and pencil version

If your teacher wants to fill out the recommendation on paper, you will need to provide each teacher with a large envelope with your name on it and then prepare the following enclosures.

Write a cover letter (click for sample recommendation request) thanking the teacher and listing the schools you are applying to and their application deadlines. Enclose any forms they may have requested.

Attach a resume, if you have one, and a copy of your essay, if your teacher would like to see them.

Include a stamped and addressed envelope for each school (check to see if your applications contain special envelopes or mailing labels for this purpose). Two stamps per envelope would be a good idea. Let the teacher put his or her own return address on the envelopes.

Organize your materials. Paperclip each envelope to the appropriate teacher recommendation if you are using college-specific forms. If you are using the Common Application, ask the teacher to fill out one form and photocopy it for mailing to all the Common Application schools on your list. Enclose cash to cover the cost of photocopying. Ask your teacher to copy recommendations after they are filled out, in case they are lost in the mail.

Fill out the “applicant” sections of your recommendation forms before giving them to your teacher. For Common Application forms, this can be done online at the Common Application website before printing. Be sure to waive your right to see the recommendation if there is a box you can check. This assures the college that the teacher responded freely and honestly.

For some colleges, among them the UW Honors Program, a sealed teacher recommendation is submitted with your application rather than mailed separately.

Follow up later by politely asking if the letters have been mailed (“Do you need any more information?”). Then send a note thanking the teacher. If you get into a school for which a letter was written, let the teacher know.

HINT: If you want to be sure your recommendations have been mailed, give each teacher a stamped postcard addressed to you. The teacher can drop the postcard in the mail at the same time the recommendations are mailed. Note that sometimes teachers will give your recommendations back to you for you to put in the mail.

Submitting an extra recommendation

A non-academic recommendation from someone who knows you very well (a coach or a music instructor, for example) can add something valuable to your application. The Common Application Arts Supplements specifically requests a letter of recommendation from an instructor familiar with your work.

Note that a few colleges request a recommendation written by a peer, or accept a letter of recommendation written by a parent.

Check the application to see whether a college accepts additional recommendations. Generally it is acceptable and even advisable to submit one more recommendation than required.

A particularly effective letter of recommendation could be from someone who knows about the specific college and can address why you are a great fit, like an alumnus who has maintained contact with the college. Such letters will only carry weight if the alumnus has first-hand knowledge of your academic abilities or other talents.

 

Printable Forms

Information Request Tracker

Application Checklist

Individual College Application Tracker

Essay Checklist

Interview Checklist

Recommendation Checklist

Junior Checklist

Senior Checklist