Getting Teacher Letters of Rec

Getting Teacher Letters of Rec July 7 Its important that you provide your teachers with ample time to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Or youll end up with template letters. We know because weve seen these template letters. And they are terrible (photo credit: Yeungb). If you are a rising high school senior and havent done so already (which would have been ideal while you were still in school), now is a great time to be asking teachers for a letter of recommendation. Approach them in the fall for a letter of recommendation and your recommendation might not turn out as good as if you had approached them in the spring or early summer. Whys that? Because teachers have more time over the summer. Theyre not busy preparing lesson plans. Theyre not busy grading tests. When your teachers have ample time to work on your letter of recommendation, your recommendation typically comes out better for it. Teachers will be less likely to use a stale template that everyone and their mother knows is a template. Typically, templates contain a whole lot of adjectives about a student that mean absolutely nothing. But when teachers have time, anecdotes work their way into these letters of recommendation and its in these anecdotes where a student can really shine. You dont want a template letter of recommendation, do you? So ask your teachers now for letters if you havent done so already. Be sure to ask kindly. They are taking the time out of their vacation to help you get into college. They dont have to do this. Its not a job requirement. Theyre doing it because they want to help you. Remember that as you craft your email asking them to do you this favor. Its very important that your phrasing reflects this. Have a question about getting  teacher letters of rec? Post your question in the Comments section below and well be sure to get back to you.