Letters of Recommendation: Things You Need to Know

Whether you’re applying to college or a summer program, letters of recommendation are often one of the best ways to showcase your unique personality and strengths. With many programs requiring letters of recommendation from one or two academic teachers and your school counselor, we often get asked how you can stand out so here are a few things you need to know. 

 Get to Know Your Academic Teachers

Academic teachers have taught you in a core subject that typically includes: Math, English/Language Arts, Science, History/Social/Ethnic Studies, and World Languages. Ideally, you want a letter of recommendation from a teacher who has taught you in your intended area of study (ex:if you are applying to COSMOS’ Sustainable Transportation Cluster, you might consider asking your environmental science teacher for a letter). 

If you know you are applying to a particular program/college, be sure to present yourself in the best way possible to the teacher you expect to receive a letter of recommendation from. This includes but is not limited to taking intellectual risks, displaying leadership skills in social settings, and many more. We recommend our students to treat every class time as an opportunity to stand out above the rest by making impressionable actions inside and outside the class. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be the most outgoing person in class, but that you are dedicated to your education, extracurriculars, and your community. The more positive memorable moments you create in class, the more your teachers will have to say about you. For reference, here is what MIT looks for in its recommendation letters and in essence, what they look for in its applicants. .  

Get to Know Your High School Counselors

Your high school counselors are also people you need to consider developing a strong relationship with. Oftentimes counselors know very little about their students and write letters based off of the conversations they have had with you and with other instructors at the school. Some may even have you fill out their version of a Brag Sheet if they do not know you well. And as we all know, writing about someone based on second-hand knowledge does not always paint you in the best light. 

If you aren’t sure what to talk to your counselor about, consider the following: 

• If you are leading a club or a movement at your school, your counselor may be able to provide you with resources to help carry that out. Talking to them about any contribution you make/intend to make on the larger school community can be a great way to showcase your interests and leadership skills.
• Counselors frequently contact college admission officers and summer program officers. Calls can be focused on getting information about the college or program advocating for you to be admitted. Speaking to them can help you decide which university or program is right for you. 
• Counselors can help you navigate your way through applications and analyze the trends that admissions officers are looking for. They can also provide you with suggestions on what to do. 

Timing 

We encourage you to be proactive about who you are going to ask. Instead of waiting until the due date to ask a teacher or counselor, we recommend you ask them as early as possible, once you have identified who you want to receive a letter of recommendation from. If you know that a teacher or counselor is particularly popular, do consider asking them early on. You might consider approaching the teacher to talk about what excites you the most about the course and then go into what you hope to pursue. Afterwards, you can express gratitude for what they have done and how they inspired you to go into that area of study and how you would greatly appreciate it if they would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation. 

 Key Takeaways

• Build relationships with who you want to receive a letter of recommendation from. This includes displaying a willingness to stimulate your intellectual curiosity, including those around you in group activities, etc.
• Be sure to take advantage of every opportunity you have to display yourself in the best light. 
• Ask for a letter of recommendation early on and express gratitude,