TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS        JUMP TO WAIVING ACCESS    JUMP TO OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

Many colleges will ask that you have a teacher write a letter of reference on your behalf. Some ask for more than one teacher recommendation, and some even specify teachers of specific subjects. You should give careful consideration to your selection of the teachers you will ask to write letters for you. The teachers you choose should know you well--both in class and out. Teachers from junior and senior year are usually preferred, as are teachers of "core" academic subjects like math, English, history, and science. Choose a teacher about whom you feel confident writing about you. If you indicate a particular major of field of interest on your application, you should have letters which support that interest. For example, if you are interested in studying engineering, the college will look for a letter from a science or math teacher. If you interested in a pre-law program, it would make sense to have letters from English and social studies teachers.

If you find that none of the colleges to which you are applying require a teacher recommendation, you might still consider having at least one teacher write on your behalf. Most students applying to the more selective colleges will have two teacher letters sent to each of their colleges.

Once you have selected your teachers, you must ask them if they will write letters for you. Remember that your teachers take this responsibility very seriously, and that they spend a considerable amount of time and effort preparing thoughtful and well-written recommendations for their students. You must give your teachers ample time to accomplish this task. If the teacher agrees to write a letter for you, you should offer to meet with him or her to answer any questions he or she might have for you.

Most schools which require letters will ask that the teacher also complete a teacher evaluation form. Before you give it to the teacher, be certain that you have provided all the necessary information requested at the top of the form, including your signature. In most cases, the teacher will not give the form or the letter back to you, but will mail them directly to the college(s) to which you are applying. Along with any college forms, you should give the teacher a stamped, addressed envelope for each of the schools to which you are applying.

Never ask a teacher to write a recommendation for you when there is not ample time to do so properly. Also, never ask a teacher to write a letter for you via a note left in the teacher's box or on the teacher's desk. After all of your letters have been written, thank the teachers who have written for you. When you get responses from the schools in the spring, let the teachers who have written for you know what the decisions are.

To waive or not to waive:
The Buckley Amendment (The Family Rights and Privacy Act) was passed in 1974 and allows you access to your application file and academic records once you have enrolled as a student at a particular school. Many recommendation forms will include a statement to the effect that you understand your right to view such information. You are then usually given the right to waive your right to access to the information on the form you are signing.

You should be aware of several points regarding your waiving your right to review your recommendations. The first is that they can be viewed only at the school you actually attend. Second, most schools retain in the student files only the student's application and the high school transcript, with all recommendations being discarded. An argument for signing the waiver is that the person who is writing for you will feel more freedom to write honestly and openly about you with the knowledge that you will not be reading the recommendation later. Some say that if you do not sign the waiver, you might be sending a message to the college that you have something to hide, or that you are concerned about something the teacher might say about you. No one knows for sure what effect your signing or not has on the person reading your application-- it is supposed to have no effect. We recommend that you do waive your right to access to the recommendation, but in doing so you are giving up a right to which you are entitled.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Many students ask about whether or not they should get extra letters of recommendation to support their application to a particular school. Such letters might be from alumni of that college or friends of the family in prominent positions. The rule of thumb is this: letters from people who do not know you well as a person, and specifically, as a student, are not helpful. In fact, letters from prominent people in the community, wealthy business people, and so on, sometimes put off the people reading the application and could work against you. IF you think an additional letter or two might be helpful to your application, you might think of asking a coach, an employer, an advisor, even a friend. Do not include more than one or two, however. Such letters should be sent directly to the Admission Office by the people writing them, and you should notify your school counselor of their having been requested or mailed.