Question of the Week

"Will I need a recommendation from a teacher? If so, does it make any difference who and when I ask?"

Most colleges will base their admission decisions exclusively on an applicant’s academic program, grade point average, and admission test scores. The highly selective institutions will require additional criteria. They may ask for an admission essay (or two), possibly an interview, and recommendations from a guidance counselor and a teacher – usually two. The more selective the institution, the more significance they will assigned to criteria that are less measureable but no less valuable.

Colleges that require teacher recommendations are hoping to learn more about an applicant than can be found from grades, courses, and test scores. They want to hear from teachers who have taught a student recently and who know the student well enough to write about his or her academic ability, habits, motivation, values, and personality. The scope of a teacher recommendation need not go beyond the classroom experience. Usually colleges will leave the choice of the teacher up to the applicant; sometimes they will stipulate an English teacher, for example, and ask to hear from one other teacher who represents a field the student intends to pursue at college.

This year, we are advising juniors to identify, with the help of their college counselor, two teachers whom they would consider asking for a letter of recommendation. Juniors are being urged to make their requests this month before school closes for the summer. As a consequence of this early notification, teachers will have ample time to prepare their thoughts, and students will be less inclined to wait until the last minute to make their request in the fall. And to help teachers with their “assignment,” we have provided students with an online Request Form, available on Family Connection.  By answering the eight questions on the Form, students will be providing teachers useful anecdotes and examples to include in their letters. Essentially, by helping their teacher, they will be helping themselves.