Letters Of Recommendation: You Have To Ask For Them
How To Ask For A Letter Of Recommendation
Students are required to obtain letters of recommendation as part of the college application process. These are usually provided by the student’s high-school guidance counselor. However, most students do not know how to ask for such a letter, let alone how to provide the information a guidance counselor needs to write a letter of recommendation.
First Steps In Asking For A Letter Of Recommendation
The first step to obtaining a letter of recommendation is to ask for one. It is best for a student to ask for a letter of recommendation in writing, either by email or in a handwritten note. Furthermore, the earlier a student can request a letter, the better. As application deadlines approach, many guidance counselors are swamped with requests for recommendation letters.
Always request a letter of recommendation in writing – simply mentioning a need for a letter of recommendation to a counselor, while standing in a noisy school hallway, is the surest way to fail to get one.
Avoiding The “How To Write This Letter Of Recommendation” Question
Guidance counselors can work with hundreds of students in just one year. While they do their best to remember details about each student, they face the problem of remembering enough information to write each individual recommendation letter with the enthusiasm necessary to win over admissions officers.
Students can avoid the problem of requiring that their guidance counselors ask how to write each letter of recommendation, by providing the following information, along with their request.
A resume, including information about extracurricular activities
Students should also provide any necessary forms as well as pre-addressed envelopes, to help make the recommendation process easier on their guidance counselor. If a college has any specific requirements for how to write a letter of recommendation for their admission officers, students should present those details to their guidance counselor as well.
Thanking Guidance Counselors
Students must remember that letters of recommendation are essentially favors that guidance counselors offer them in the hopes of helping students reach their goals. It is appropriate to write a thank-you note to the letter writer, especially if a student has requested multiple letters of recommendation, a practice that is common for those students applying to multiple colleges.
It is also important to be polite throughout the entire process. Most guidance counselors are under no obligation to show a letter of recommendation to the student before sending it on to college admission officers. Being polite can often result in the counselor involving a student more closely in the letter-writing process. Furthermore, an impolite approach can convince a guidance counselor not to write a letter of recommendation for a student.