Senior Troy Balogun kept putting it off. The time had come for the daunting task of asking teachers for letters of recommendations. But every time he considered approaching a teacher, he questioned if he would receive a quality letter.

“I was hesitant originally to ask for a letter of recommendation because I felt like the letter was such an important part of getting into a college I wanted to,” Balogun said. “It was scary because it was the moment I would test the relationships I had been building since freshman year.” 

The value of connecting with teachers might not be immediately obvious, but senior year makes it clear just how much those bonds matter. When students need a letter of recommendation, the best teachers to ask are those who have seen them grow and can share positive, specific examples of your character.

“When I received my letter of recommendation, it felt like someone had captured the best version of me on paper,” senior Troy Balogun said. “It reminded me that the hard work I put in didn’t go unnoticed and that my time in high school was memorable to someone else.”

Students need to take a few key considerations into account before asking teachers for a recommendation letter. It is helpful to teachers when students include on their resume what extracurricular activities they’re involved in.

“Also providing them information because while a teacher might know a student well from their experiences in class, they may not know all the great activities or things that they do outside of that class,” Tarbox said. “So providing a minimum resume, but some counselors and some teachers have a letter of recommendation questionnaire that just helps to let this know about all the different things a student has done.” 

With most letters being written or attached digitally the application process should be fully understood before asking a teacher for a letter of recommendation.

“A lot of times the Common App is one of the most common ways we see. And so the student can ask the teacher ‘would you write a letter of recommendation for me?’  
And if the teacher says, yes, then they can let the teacher know, ‘I’m going to put you in my common app. I just need your name and email and that’ll email you a link to upload the letter.’ Some might apply through Apply Texas. 
Some colleges allow teachers to submit letters OF recommendation, directly to the college through things like their admissions website and things. And then some scholarships also have similar systems to upload,” Tarbox said. “So just if it helps that the student already knows that before they ask the teacher.” 

Selecting which teacher to ask plays a vital role in receiving a strong letter.

“I felt it was important I asked teachers that had a good connection with me, so I tried to select teachers that I had good conversations with and that knew me as a person and not just a student,” Balogun said.

It’s important to reflect and find the best teacher to ask.

“I’m meant to advise students when you’re looking at who to ask, be sure that you’re asking teachers that know you well, that you have a good relationship with and that would have nice things to say about you,” counselor Courtney Tarbox said. “So hopefully, if a student, maybe they had to have an English teacher, maybe they didn’t get along with their senior English teacher, but maybe they did with their sophomore English teacher.”

A commonly misunderstood belief about asking for a letter of recommendation is that a teacher has to say yes.

“A teacher does not have to submit a letter of recommendation. 
And so students should not demand that or expect that, Tarbox said. “And I would just caution that if a teacher’s refusing to write a letter for them, that probably wasn’t the best teacher to ask for the letter in the first place and that they might want to kind of reflect and think back on maybe who would be a better fit for them.” 

After asking a teacher for a letter of recommendation, checking in on the status of a letter can be appropriate if done in the right way.

“I have declined a student’s request,” English teacher Robin Hanssen said. “I didn’t feel that I knew the student well enough to write an honest letter. I will always be honest when I recommend someone, so I need to have some sort of background to draw from. If I have only interacted with a student in a limited or superficial way, I am unable to give an honest account of his or her work ethic or abilities. I always recommend getting to know your teachers and counselors, so it is easier to ask for these important letters.” 

If they feel like they’ve developed a good relationship with them, students shouldn’t have to worry about what the teacher said about them in their letter.

“I believe a great recommendation letter should have a personal touch, ” Hanssen said. “It should be obvious that the person you have chosen knows you well and can speak honestly and candidly about your qualities. Be sure to pick someone that you know has specific personal examples from which to draw.” 

Finally, teachers all agree that you can’t wait until the last minute.

“They get very overwhelmed at certain times of the year. Some of the biggest advice that we give them is to be sure to give teachers the courtesy of time,” Tarbox said. “So be sure they ask them at least two weeks in advance.”