COLLEGE APPLICATION FAQ's
STEPS TO REQUEST A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
STEP 1: Determine what type of recommendation you need & if you even need one. If the school does not accept letters of recommendation, DO NOT SEND ONE and DO NOT REQUEST ONE!
- College recommendation - does the college have SPECIFICS regarding WHO you should be getting your letter from?
- Scholarships - you may need to request a PAPER COPY of this recommendation to submit with scholarship applications or have provide a mailing envelope with address & stamp for recommender to mail to scholarship provider. *not all recommenders will agree to provide letters for scholarships.
- Recommendation or Reference for a JOB or OPPORTUNITY (summer program, job shadow, internship, etc...)
STEP 2: WHO
A trusted adult who is not a relative, someone who knows you well and can speak to your strengths and character. Start building those relationships early with your teachers, coaches, staff, employers, club advisors, etc....
STEP 3: ASK & CONFIRM
Set up an in-person meeting to discuss your plans and why you would like them to write your letter. Ask if they feel comfortable writing you a strong recommendation. If the answer is no, make sure you have enough time to ask someone else.
- It is recommended that you waive FERPA, your rights to read recommendation letters. You have put trust in the people whom you’ve asked to fill out the forms and write your letters of recommendation. If you value the relationship that you have with the people whom you ask, and they agree to do it, then there is every reason why you would want to waive your rights. Read more information on FERPA and waiving your rights.
- There is NO obligation on the writer to provide the student a copy of the letter. Many prefer to keep their recommendations private. If you have to use this letter for future applications, scholarships, etc., you should request and communicate this intent in ADVANCE.
- Some teachers receive a lot of requests to write letters of recommendation and they may limit the number of letters they write. The earlier you ask, the better chance you’ll get your first choice of people to write letters.
Formal Written Request Examples:
- Confirm with your writer via email and provide a deadline
STEP 4: DEADLINE
MUST provide a recommender at least 2-3 weeks advance notice a month is best.
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Dates may vary depending on the college deadline or employment location
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Use your first deadline as your guide for all requests. (earliest we have seen is Oct 15th)
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If you request LATE, DO NOT EXPECT YOUR RECOMMENDER TO COMMIT!!!
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If you request through the platform without advance notice or confirmation, your request WILL BE DECLINED.
*example deadline dates to request by & remind/check in by.
Deadline |
Request BY |
Reminder/Check In |
Oct 1 |
Sept 24-Oct 1 |
Oct 8 |
Nov 1 |
Oct 11-18 |
Oct 25 |
Nov 15 |
Oct 25-Nov 1 |
Nov 8 |
STEP 5: SHARE INFORMATION "ABOUT ME"
Gather information about yourself (think of it as a brag book)
- Complete the BRAG SHEET SURVEY - discuss questions with your recommenders, you do NOT need to answer all of them.
- CREATE a SHARED FOLDER for RECOMMENDERS (teacher & counselor)
- Save your shared folder as YOUR NAME COLLEGE APPLICATION INFO so they can find it easily.
Example: GOOGLE DRIVE SHARED FOLDER content
- Brag Sheet
- Include Updated Resume: Current, error free with your achievements, accomplishments & accolades
- College Essay - provide a link to the document on a google doc
- Planning Chart: List of schools/programs you plan to apply to with deadline dates
- Transcript or review of grades/courses 9-11
- College Essay Draft Link
- Supplemental Information specific to the class you took & work you did
- Optional: images, videos, academic work, certificates, evaluations, etc..
STEP 6: FOLLOWING UP & THANK YOU! - probably one of the MOST IMPORTANT steps!
Check back via email or in person with your recommenders to ensure everything is going well, to see if they have questions, and to give them friendly reminders about deadlines. After the recommendation is submitted, SEND A THANK YOU CARD! It is amazing how much this small token of your appreciation is valued. PLEASE keep your educator updated about the results of your college application process. Also keep in mind these letters can be slightly altered and used for scholarship applications!! Big local private donor scholarship applications open Feb-April.
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I just wanted to reach out to you regarding my letter of recommendation (deadline date), I am so excited to apply to __________________ and your letter is ____{insert feeling}_______. I wanted to just reach out to remind you how important this is for me and how important YOU are to me too!
Was there any additional information you needed from me to write this letter?
Thank you for the time you have committed to writing this letter and I appreciate the many things you ____{specifics about them}_________. Especially when ________{this happened}_____ and how you handled ____{this with me}______. I have some really great memories of our time together.
Again I am very grateful for your support of my future goals. I will be in touch to let you know if anything about my plan or application has changed. Thank you again! I look forward to sharing my results of this application process!! (I know you will be excited for me too!) GO Bears!!
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