Recommendation Letters

In the past when I needed recommendation letters from my teachers or my coaches I would just give them a sheet with a lot of information about me and ask them if they could type up a letter and send it or give it to me. The only thing is that I’ve seen specific outlines for recommendation letters from certain schools, but I can never seem to find the actual outline on college’s websites when I look for them. Do I need a certain sheet for recommendation letters before I start asking my teachers for some in a few weeks (I was planning on asking them after AP exams), or should I just do my usual thing and just ask them if they can type one up?

I plan on applying to UMich, MichState, UChicago, Cornell (ED), and a few other schools by the way.

halp me

I think it would be wiser to seek out teachers with whom you’ve established a sound relationship.

Yes, but do I just ask them to write a recommendation letter or is there a specific sheet they have to fill out for recommendations? @beepybeetle

Ask your GC as it is probably a formalized process at your high school.

Most high schools have a questionnaire given to students in the fall of senior year that student completes. At our HS, it is completed and returned to teacher that is being asked for recommendation, so filling it out for each teacher the info can vary. You may want to mention projects done in that certain class for example. But the standard form is handed out by the GC.

As mentioned, ask your GC. You can ask a teacher now if they would be willing to write one for you, but know that most teachers aren’t writing these over the summer…some may want to jot down some notes to use next fall though so asking now is ok.

Agree with post above about asking GC. In my experience, I never really had to give most teachers a specific sheet to write a rec. I went to them when they had free time and just asked them. However, it’s great to make the process as easy for them as possible. I created folders that would have the colleges I’m applying to, the schools I need it sent to, any details I received about the rec (what they look for, info that should be included, etc.), dates, deadlines, submission procedures, set up their rec account, envelopes with stamps (if applicable) my resume, and even my application essay sometimes. Teachers are very busy, so providing everything they need in a simple folder makes the process a whole lot easier for them, they’ll likely be more willing to write other recs for you, and it helps make sure things get sent in a timely manner, barring outliers.

I will say that great rec is when the teacher doesn’t have to use your resume to write it. In fact, I would say that if they heavily rely on your resume that may not be the best rec (If they use the resume to connect to what you do in class, on assignments, or in an EC, that’s a different story). What you don’t want is a rec that lists the info you gave them in paragraph form. Trust me it doesn’t accomplish anything and comes off as fake and basic. My GC rec was like that and I could literally find specific questions in my applications that already asked for that information. It just told my class rank, GPA, and leadership positions, not who I am as a person, why I’m a viable applicant or any personal experiences. If you ever get a stat based rec, try to avoid them for future ones.

Some schools have a kind of forms for recommendation. In my Ds’s school, the parents need fill a brag sheet by the end of Junior year for the GC. If the LoR is requested through the school office, the GC will pass along the brag sheet to the teacher. You should ask your GC for the process at your school.