College Jolt

Senior year, I hated, no, loathed the whole college application process. I was busy trying to be the next Ferris Bueller while my parents were busy being on my back about applications, essays, interviews, SAT scores, reach schools, safety schools, blah, blah, blah. Needless to say, I was NOT happy. And to make matters worse I had to find a teacher to write me a RECOMMENDATION LETTER?! How was I supposed to do that? Who would I ask? How would I go about asking? What was I supposed to give them?

Now I wouldn’t want anyone else to go it alone through the excruciating process of figuring out who/what/when/how to ask for a college recommendation letter, so I’m here to save the day. I’ve come up with a list of tips and tactics for a smooth ride through the recommendation letter process, so that you can get on to more important things—like prom, senior skip day, senior week, etc.

PART 1: WHO DO I ASK?

Deciding who to ask is really not that tough, I mean, you’ve been in school for 12 years now… you’re bound to have at least one teacher who likes you. No? What about a sports coach? A guidance counselor? A club advisor? Heck, maybe you’ve been sent to the principal so many times that he/she is your pal, bud, comrade. Just remember: Ask someone who knows you- Someone who can write about your qualities as a person, not just your grades/extracurriculars. Oh, and ask nicely.

PART 2: WHAT SHOULD I GIVE THEM?

You have no idea how, but you’ve got someone to agree to write you a letter of recommendation. Now what? First you should check with the schools you’re applying to and make sure they don’t provide specific questions or a specific form. (This information can usually be found within your application packet.) If not, well then—here’s some recommendations for your letter:

1. Provide the teacher with stamped AND addressed envelopes for each school you want the letter to go to. This one is a must!
2. You may want to provide them a copy of your college application essay. Maybe their letter could compliment it?
3. Give them some info! Let them know why you’re applying where you’re applying, what you want to major in, what you want to do with your bright future, etc.
4. Remind them! Give them a copy of something you’ve written for their class or a list of contributions you’ve made to the club/team/organization they advise. Wanna be a real brown noser? Write them a page about how much you’ve gotten out of their class/team/organization—don’t forget to cite specific examples… it’ll make you more genuine.
5. Should you give them a copy of your resume? I say no, unless, of course, they ask. Having your grades/extracurriculars in front of them might steer them away from writing a more personal letter. Colleges already know everything on your resume. What they’re looking for with the letter is something more!

I suggest you put all of this stuff in a big folder with the deadlines for each school written in chronological order. And remember, this person is doing you a favor, so make sure you give them time. A minimum of three weeks is appropriate from when you give your recommender everything to the first dead line.

PART 3: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

This person just did a huge and I mean, GINORMOUS, thing for you. This is your future, ya know? So, be grateful. You absolutely must give them a hand-written thank you note. Keep them updated too. Maybe you got into one of your reach schools? Let them know they made a difference. Let them know what school you decided to attend in the fall and why. If they took the time to write you a recommendation, I guarantee they have at least a slight interest in how you fared. Oh, and ya know… presents never hurt.

See! It’s not that complicated to get a letter of recommendation, but just in case here’s two more tips:

1. Have a back-up. Did you ask the head of the math department / adviser of the math club / teacher of algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, and calculus? While this person may know you well and like you a lot, they may just not have time. So, ask someone else. Just in case.
2. If at all possible give them a heads up at the end of junior year. Some well-liked, popular teachers are bombarded with everyone and their mother asking for recommendations and have to resort to first come, first serve. So, politely ask them at the end of junior year if they would mind writing you a recommendation come fall. It’s a surefire way to ensure you’re at the top of their list.

Okay. I think that’s everything. You should be all set to go out and conquer the world of recommendation letters! Be confident, my youngins. And don’t get too stressed out about the whole application process because, trust me, college is totally worth it!

Have a funny recommendation letter story? Stressing about getting a recommendation letter? Want me to write it? As usual… I wanna know, so comment below!

Photo courtesy of insidehighered.com

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