<p>As someone who writes letters for students quite often, I have some recommendations. As the parent of a current MIT student, I also have a story about the process of getting a great recommendation. </p>
<p>First, visit MIT's website and read through the section on letters of recommendation: MIT</a> Admissions | Info For Schools & Counselors: Writing Evaluations
Familiarize yourself with the sort of letter MIT will want to see.</p>
<p>Second, consider carefully who to ask to write a letter. Believe it or not, the most important consideration is not necessarily your performance in a given teacher's class. The best teacher to write your letter is a teacher who meets two criteria: 1) the teacher is convinced you're a good match for MIT; 2) the teacher knows exactly how to write the kind of letter that will get you there. More on point #2 later.</p>
<p>Third, prepare a resume or a "brag sheet" of your accomplishments to hand to each teacher you're going to ask for a letter. </p>
<p>Fourth, ask for a 10-15 minute appointment with each teacher. During this time, ask for a letter of recommendation, and then spend quite a bit of time explaining why you think you are a good fit for MIT. Provide the teacher a copy of a letter MIT deems an "excellent" letter. Explain (in your most humble and self-effacing manner) that you will need incredibly strong letters to get in, and ask the teacher if he or she believes it possible to write such a letter on your behalf. If the teacher agrees, provide him/her with your resume, "brag sheet," stamped addressed letters. Also provide copies of the evaluation form on which you have filled in your name and as much other information as possible (name and address of your school, for example).</p>
<p>Fifth, after the teacher has sent in the letter (you'll see this on the MIT website, I believe), be sure to thank that teacher in person with some little token of appreciation, such as a card, a small boquet of wildflowers, or candy.</p>
<p>I'll tell you a story about my daughter's experience (she was admitted EA in the fall of 2010). She asked two teachers for letters, an AP physics teacher and an honors English teacher she'd had as a junior. She didn't want to ask her AP English teacher at the time, because she was getting a B in the class and didn't believe it possible to get a good letter given that grade. The English teacher provided a copy of the letter she'd sent MIT, and it was brief and straightforward, very impersonal. It simply stated that the student had maintained a straight-A average during her previous 3 years at the high school and should do very well at MIT. Having read through the sample letters on MIT's website, however, my daughter freaked out. She showed the letter to the school counselor, who agreed that the letter was simply not strong enough and said, "Try to get another letter." So my daughter went to talk with her AP English teacher. They had a great conversation, and the teacher told her that she'd known about my daughter's progress in math/science classes at the school, believed she'd be a great match for MIT, and promised to do everything in her power to help her application. That teacher ended up writing a 2-page single-spaced letter that was simply amazing. Despite the various achievements in math and science listed on her application, to this day, my daughter believes that letter was critical in gaining her admission to the school.</p>
<p>Bottom line: You have more control over letters of recommendation than you may believe. Be thoughtful and take care through the process.</p>