What to do When Students Request a Recommendation Letter

Posted in blog, teacher tools, the high school perspective

The first time that a student comes to you and asks you to write a recommendation letter can feel a bit overwhelming. You know that writing a quality recommendation letter is important to the student, and you want to provide them with a good letter.

As the requests for recommendation letters start pouring in, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and wonder when/how you’re going to have time to complete the letters.

Start Early

Set the stage by being upfront about ground rules and deadlines when it comes to asking for recommendation letters. Consider including this information in your course syllabus and on your course website. Next, set guidelines for how much notice students need to give when asking for a recommendation letter. I require students to ask at least 2 weeks before the due date.

Determine how you want students to submit requests.

Is okay for students to email you? Do you accept verbal requests? I recommend having a clear process so that it’s easy for you to stay organized. My students requests need to be in writing and include the following information:

  • When is the due date?
  • Is the recommendation coming through Common APP, or is there a specific place that it needs to be submitted?
  • List all of the courses that you’ve taken with me.
  • List any relevant extracurricular activities
  • Tell me more about the schools that you’re applying to and what do you hope to study?

The above questions are important as the answers will help you to write a more personalized recommendation letter. It also saves you time from having to look up all of the classes that the student has taken with you.

Save all recommendation letters

Make sure to save all of the letters that you write. It’s possible that once you’ve written one for a student they will come back to you later needing you to submit a letter to another school. By making sure that you’ve saved all of your letters ( titled with the student’s name), you can quickly search through your files and submit the letter.

This also means that you don’t have to start from scratch every time.

What to include in the letter

  • What is your relationship with the student? This is where you’re going to include information about classes that they’ve taken with you. Be specific what stood out to you about that student.
  • Who are you? Share a few sentences explaining your experience and education. ( This is a part that can stay the same for each letter)
  • Why do you recommend the student? Here is where it can be helpful to know what the student wants to study, as it will help you to be more specific. You can also bring in connections from the list of extracurricular activities that the student provided.
  • Include your contact information, in case they want to reach out with further questions

Clear communication upfront will save you and your students a lot of time and headaches.

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Author: Amber Kane is a Compliance Officer, High School Art Teacher and textile designer in PA. Through questioning and a focus on the creative thought process, she strives to help her students uncover their personal voice and see how they can use art to create impact.