Which teacher to ask for a letter of recommendation

None of this information will ever be shared or sold. Who should I ask for my Letter of Recommendation? You will need to differentiate between letters of recommendaiton from teachers and letters of recommendaiton from individuals who have not taught the student in an academic area.

Larry B. Response: Can I suggest not rushing into requests for letters of recommendation from teachers? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you choose a recommender: Is there an aspect of my character that is not well revealed in my application?

Does this Math teacher know about my unrevealed strengths because of a particular experience we shared? Did this teacher supervise my after school tutoring of weaker math students? Have I run a mile with this teacher after school and did we sit together afterwards, stretching and talking? Did we get around to talking about the ways in which mathematicians have made a difference? Did another teacher I could consider teach a class that was obviously not my best?

If so, did we form a special bond over my effort and improvement? For instance, if creative writing is not my strength, did I improve? Along the way, did I show an ability to write a good expository essay.

David P. Response: Ideally, students should wait until their essays are completed before seeking out recommenders. Response: I try to begin this process as early as the freshman year by encouraging my counselees and clients to participate in class, take the initiative in class projects and discussions by volunteering, and to also reach out to students who need academic assistance.

Share this Information:. StudyPoint is a national leader in one-to-one, in-home test prep and academic tutoring. The test-taking techniques and strategies taught in our SAT tutoring and ACT tutoring programs enable students to earn higher test scores and gain admissions to competitive colleges and universities.

Our expert subject tutors and personalized lesson plans help students earn better grades and become happier, more confident students. Whether you're looking for a math tutor or any other type of academic tutoring , StudyPoint can help. To learn about tutoring programs in your area, feel free to contact us for more information. Ideally, you want to ask a teacher who had you as a student recently, within the last year or two if possible. These teachers are likely to remember you the most.

However, if you really want to ask a teacher that you had freshman year, you absolutely can do that. You just need to be sure to go and meet with that teacher periodically to get reacquainted before you ask for a rec letter.

This way, you and your teacher can be on the same page about the kind of student you are and how you want to present yourself to colleges. If you can, also try to diversify the types of teachers you ask to write your letters of recommendation. In other words, try to have teachers from all different subject areas write your rec letters. For example, you could have one STEM teacher rec along with a humanities teacher rec.

This will show colleges that you can excel in many different subject areas. Colleges rarely ask you to submit more than two teacher rec letters. However, you as an applicant may feel like you should ask more than two teachers and try to submit extra letters of recommendation.

The people you ask should be able to describe your skills and your accomplishments, as well as your personality. Colleges prefer letters from junior year teachers since they are the most familiar with your most recent work. It is best to ask teachers in the spring of junior year if they are willing and able to write a letter on your behalf.

Some teachers like to take care of the letters over the summer, and others want a true summer vacation. If you are applying to colleges with early deadlines Oct. Unfortunately, students frequently wait to ask until right before the applications are due, and many teachers — especially the most popular ones — are already booked up. If your teacher needs to mail in your letter of recommendation to a certain office, make sure you provide an addressed envelope with a stamp.

Offer to help with any part of the process to make it as easy as possible on the teacher. Consider the letter your responsibility and make sure you help your teacher succeed in getting the letter in on time. Once the letter of recommendation has been sent, make sure to thank your teacher for their time and work! You can thank them in person, write out a thank-you note, or even get them a small gift as a thanks.

This is especially important because you want to show gratitude for their effort on your behalf and also keep the option open for any further letters in the future. Since , NSHSS has supported young academics on their journey to college and beyond as they prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow.

The mission behind NSHSS is to recognize academic excellence and honor high-achieving students, providing them with the resources and network to excel in college, career and community. In doing so, NSHSS connects members with global events, scholarships , college fairs, internships, career and leadership programs , partner discounts, and more. Password Recovery To recover your password please fill in your email address Email. Submit Back To Login. Don't Have An Account Yet?