HELP: I don’t know what to do regarding letters of recommendations.
How do I ask teachers for letters of recommendations? I have no idea if there some proper etiquette, when to ask, etc. Do I then collect the letters of rec and send it to the schools, or do the teachers send it themselves? Am I supposed to submit a pdf in the applications?
I’m planning on applying to both UC’s and CSU’s, as well as a few out of state schools for an engineering major. It is well known that the UCs and CSUs don’t require letters of recommendations, but do for specific majors, like music, art, etc. but should I have them ready in case they do need them?
Just be respectful and ask your teachers. Tell them things like what you plan on majoring / college lists / etc. Generally, your teachers should be the ones that will upload your LORs, like on the Common App you’ll invite them and they will upload their letters (I assume this is the same for other apps such as coalition/specific school portals). Double-check if you need a counselor LOR as well.
Also if you’re applying to UCs and CSUs aren’t the deadlines in < 4 days? I know that UCB and UCLA are already passed.
I believe OP is referring to next year.
Just ask politely if they will write your rec. Typically, many recommenders write the recs in the summer. You can ask before then if they would like you to remind them of anything you think might be worth including in the rec. Usually, there is nothing much you have to do after that, beyond ensuring with your GC that they have uploaded their letters.
Yes, definitely do ask for letters of rec. You might add or subtract colleges from your list in the time before you apply, and it’s extremely difficult to get late recommendations.
Yes, I am applying next year.
So I would go up to them before this year ends, and ask if they would write a rec and tell them what colleges & the majors.
Can I ask for letters of rec once senior year starts, or is that also too late?
No, you do not need to tell them the colleges. One letter will be written and all colleges will get it, if the colleges require it. Your list might change. You also don’t need to tell them the major, but you can if you like.
IMO it is too late to wait until senior year. The most popular teachers will be asked in Jan or Feb. At my kids’ school, some teachers would stop accepting requests after the first ten kids, in Feb usually. Do not leave it until senior year starts, because many teachers write these letters early, like in the summer when they have time.
Be sure to thank your teachers once they have written your letters.
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Asking when senior year has started is perfectly fine, a lot of people actually ask then but do make sure you generally ask at least 1.5 months in advance to your FIRST deadline. I’ve known people who have asked too late and the teacher has had to turn them down.
Some of my teachers this year had been talking about how they write over 70 letters of rec during the 2 months before college apps start opening, so I thought senior year was when you ask them… Thank you for your advice!
Is it wise to ask a teacher you had your freshman year? I’m not going to have her again, but she would recognize me in the hallways (before covid) in school, and she would ask me how my classes are going, how school is, etc. I was thinking I could get a good letter of rec from her, but since I only had her freshman year I’m not sure how strong the letter would be?
Colleges generally recommend teachers from core subjects (math, science, English, foreign language, social studies) from junior or senior year. Schools want to know about the you now, not 2-3 years past. If the freshmen teacher also sponsors a club or team that you are on, that would be different.
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what about an engineering teacher? I’m going to have him for 3 years once I start senior year, but he’s not necessarily from a core subject?
An engineering teacher should be fine.
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In my experience, and certainly in the schools in the area where I live, students who want a rec from a popular teacher ask by around Feb. I guess you could wait, especially if you feel you don’t really know your teachers well enough yet.
Some high schools have guidelines on when to ask and what to provide - and possibly a formal process. Others do not. Some teachers will only do them for the first x students who ask them. Know what is typically done at your HS.
Start with identifying what letters of recommendation you will need - how many and from which subjects, keeping in mind that more is not better. If the application asks for two, only do two. Generally, the same two or three letters should suffice for your applications.
Then identify when you need the letters (are you applying ED anywhere? Or EA?) and through what method (Common App or Coalition or ?).
Ask your teachers in person (request to set up a zoom meeting with them if you are virtual only) - and if they say yes, follow up with an email containing:
- Date the letter is required and how to submit it (common app, etc.)
- General info about where you are planning to apply and what you intend to study
- Reminder of any standout projects or assignments you did in their class
- Other summarized info about you, especially things they might not know (for example, my daughter was very active in a community robotics club but it wasn’t through school so her teachers didn’t know)
- Thank them!
And be sure to follow up with them to ensure they can meet the deadline and don’t have any questions.
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At my kids’ high school, kids were advised to consider asking their teachers as soon as February of their junior year, especially if the teachers in question were popular, and then to submit formal requests electronically during the spring. Most teachers wrote the recommendations during the summer before the student’s senior year, not only so that they were done before the busy school year started but also in case students were submitting applications early (for EA/ED or rolling admissions).