Grades and test scores are important factors when evaluating college applications, but they don’t tell the whole story. When admissions officers evaluate applicants, they review both “hard factors” (quantitative measures like GPA) as well as “soft factors,” such as essays, extracurricular activities, demonstrated interest, and recommendation letters.
While not the most important soft factor in a holistic review, letters of recommendation offer valuable information about the type of student you are and how you contribute to your school community.
What Are Recommendation Letters?
Recommendation letters are generally written by teachers and guidance counselors who know you well and can speak to your qualifications, character, and potential for success in college. Some colleges also request additional letters of recommendation from other individuals, such as a coach, a member of the clergy, or a boss.
These letters are an important part of the college application process, providing insight into your abilities, achievements, and personal qualities from the perspective of someone who has observed you in an academic or extracurricular setting.
Why Are Recommendation Letters Important?
Strong recommendation letters help round out your applicant profile, provide insights into what you are like as a student and person, and put the rest of your application in context. Letters of recommendation are particularly valuable to admissions officers because the experiences that your recommenders describe can help them paint a better overall picture of who you are and the impact you will have on campus.
Whom to Ask for Recommendation Letters?
It’s never too early to think about recommendation letters. Build and foster relationships with teachers and counselors from day one so that you not only get the most out of your classes but also have people who can advocate on your behalf when it comes time to apply to colleges.
You will have a lot of teachers in high school — how to choose the teachers to write a recommendation letter? We recommend students identify teachers to write their recommendation letters before the end of junior year. Junior or senior year teachers are usually the best for writing recommendations, since they are more likely to have taught you in a high-level course, taught you over a few years, and/or know you in different capacities.
It can also be beneficial to prioritize getting a recommendation letter from a teacher in the subject that is relevant to the course of study you intend to pursue. For example, if you plan to apply to college as an engineering major, a letter from your physics teacher might hold more weight than one from your English teacher.
When to Ask for Recommendation Letters?
Don’t wait until the last minute to reach out to teachers and counselors to ask if they will write on your behalf. Instead, it’s best to start the conversation about recommendation letters early by getting in touch with the teachers you choose during the end of your junior year or the very beginning of your senior year. This will give them ample time to plan and draft a thoughtful and effective letter that they can submit well before your application deadlines. Provide your teacher with proper instructions and any other materials they may need to reference, such as your resume or a great assignment you completed in their class.
Some schools limit how many recommendations teachers or counselors may write, which is why it is so important to approach them early to ensure they can write a letter for you. You can assume that popular instructors will have a lot of students asking for recommendations. If you wait too long, they may not have time to write a strong letter for you.
What Are the Parts of a Recommendation Letter?
A good letter template includes the following components:
- Introduction: This should be one paragraph in which the writer introduces themself and explains their relationship to you, including how long and in what capacity they have known you.
- Academic and personal qualities: These paragraphs highlight your academic strengths, work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and any notable achievements. It may also discuss personal qualities such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, and integrity. This should include specific examples to illustrate these qualities.
- Conclusion: The letter ends with a strong endorsement, summarizing why you would be a good fit for the college and how you would contribute to the campus community. This could include contact information, along with an offer to answer any questions about you.
- Closing: A sign-off with the recommender’s name and title.
Example of a Good Recommendation Letter
This original letter covers all the key elements mentioned above. Notice that the recommender kept the length to less than a full page.
March 31, 2024
Dear Admissions Committee,
I am delighted to recommend Emily Jones, one of our highest-achieving students at Riverside High School. Emily’s cumulative GPA consistently places her in the top ten percent of her class, and her practice SAT scores have outpaced those of her peers. She has truly challenged herself with a rigorous course load, taking all four AP courses available to underclassmen and earning a 4 on the AP Psychology exam in 10th grade—a year ahead of her peers. Emily’s grades have been consistently strong even in the most challenging classes, and I am confident she is ready for the academic challenges of college.
Emily’s teachers describe her as highly organized and engaged during class. She excels in group settings, ensuring all members actively participate in the work. Emily is extremely goal-oriented—once she sets her mind to completing a task or project, she is determined to overcome any obstacles that arise until she finishes. She is known by her peers and teachers as compassionate and easy to talk to.
Outside the classroom, Emily has shown leadership and commitment as captain of the JV and varsity lacrosse teams. She also works part-time and volunteers her time tutoring elementary school students. She has grown tremendously, learning to balance her commitments with maturity and grace. She prioritizes effectively, saying “no” to activities that do not align with her priorities.
Emily is excited to graduate and pursue her postsecondary education. She has a passion for helping others, which has led to her interest in pursuing social work. I know she will succeed and thrive at your institution, and I highly recommend her for admission. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need further information.
Sincerely,
Christopher Smith
Guidance Counselor
Riverside High School
What Are Colleges Seeking in Your Letter of Recommendation
College admissions committees seek insight into who you are as a scholar and a person. While the components of your application offer this information, letters of recommendation offer a more complete picture. Not all schools have a recommendation letter requirement. However, most selective colleges and universities — Harvard, Stanford, and USC, just to name a few — require one to three recommendation letters, usually from your guidance counselor and at least one teacher. Multiple recommendation letters allow admissions officers to learn about you from various perspectives.
Recommendation letters are typically submitted electronically through the school-specific supplements on The Common Application. It’s important to be strategic about who you choose to write your recommendation letters since there is usually a limit on how many you can submit on the Common App.
Other College Recommendation Letter Tips
- Avoid recommendation letters from well-known or influential people who don’t know you well or personally. Having someone write on your behalf just because they are “cool” or impressive doesn’t boost your application — it can actually hurt it. It’s better to have recommendations from people who know you very well and can expand on your academic and extracurricular strengths.
- Don’t ask to see the recommendation letter before it’s submitted or ask what a person wrote after its submission. This puts the writer in an awkward position and could potentially hinder their honesty and thoughtfulness. If you are that worried about what a teacher may have to say, you probably shouldn’t be asking that teacher for a recommendation in the first place.
- If a school advises you not to submit additional letters of recommendation, then don’t. You don’t want to give the admissions officers extra materials that are not requested, and they will remember that you didn’t follow explicit instructions.
- Don’t forget to say, “thank you!” After your teachers have submitted their letters of recommendation, take some time to write them a thank you note. Let them know you appreciate that they took the time to write a recommendation for you. Remember, teachers are not required to do this.
Learn All About College Prep with an Expert Counselor
While recommendation letters are just one of many application components, they are a unique and particularly critical part of completing a full personal and academic profile and require strategic planning. Be proactive and think about this early so that when the time comes, you will feel prepared and confident about asking for those letters.
At IvyWise, we work with students on every facet of the college application, from activities and essays to guidance on how to select the best-fit teachers to write letters of recommendation. Contact us today to learn more about our individualized college counseling services.
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