Tips to get good recommendations

Q: Can you give me some tips on teacher recommendation letters for college applications?

A: First, you should approach the teacher(s) you want to write a letter of recommendation early, sometimes as early as the end of junior year, to avoid the fall rush. Unfortunately, many students wait until the last minute to approach the teacher and may not get a favorable response.

According to Ashvin Jaishankar, a math and computer science teacher at Stuyvesant High School, one of the most academically challenging public high schools in New York City, "The earlier the student asks the teacher, the more likely they will be receptive to the request. I told my students to e-mail me in August and come see me during the first week or two in September if they wanted me to write their college recommendation letter."

Furthermore, you should provide the teacher that is writing a recommendation for you with additional information that will enhance their recommendation.

Jaishankar asks his students to provide him with "an extracurricular or nonacademic experience that was important or special to them."

"I ask them for a particular experience rather than a list of activities, because I can access that from the school's college office, plus the colleges will know the list themselves when the application is brought to their attention," he said.

He asks students for a particular experience that means something to them in order to get to know the student's interests outside of school in addition to academically.

Also, you should keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to ask a teacher to write a recommendation for you because you earned an "A" in his/her class.

In fact, Jaishankar states, "I will write recommendations for students who showed me a consistent effort and a desire to understand the material, regardless of their final grade. Because if a student gets an 'A,' but did not show much effort, there is not much for me to go on. On the other hand, if a student does not necessarily get A's in my course, but shows me that they are always trying to do better and getting involved in class discussions, it leaves more of an impression and makes it easier to write the letter."

In other words, maybe physics is not your strongest subject; however, if you worked really hard in that class and earned a "B," chances are the teacher noticed your effort and would write an excellent recommendation letter for you.

But remember, don't wait until the week before your college applications are due to ask him/her.

http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2008-2-16-katz
Reprinted by permission, Palo Alto Daily News. Jason Katz ©2.16.2008 All rights reserved. This article may be printed for your personal use, but may not be reprinted in whole or in part in any publication or website without permission. www.jkatzcollegecounseling.com