7 steps to a great letter of recommendation

Have the materials prepared for delivery so after your teacher agrees to write your rec, you can hand them a 9-by-12 envelope with a cover letter from you detailing what materials are enclosed. 

2. Give them the letter’s meat. 

Give your teacher specific material to write about. I have written more than 250 recs. Half of those letters have been excellent, half have not. Give your teacher an essay or project exemplifying your best work. A simple post-it note on your most well-written three to four lines will help us use it as an excerpt in the rec. At the very least, articulate what skills you improved upon the most in the teacher’s class. What unit or topic did you get the most out of? Write that in a cover letter that strikes a polite balance between suggesting and telling the teacher how to best advocate for you. 

3. Ask for official paper. 

Provide already-addressed, stamped envelopes for them to send in the letters of rec. Write your name on the back of the envelope, in the lower left hand corner. 

6. Be early. 

Give your teachers all the necessary material well before the due dates. 

Include a simple thank-you note in the packet for your teacher. Writing a good recommendation letter takes time, and nothing energizes a teacher like gratitude.