While it is unwise to brag about yourself on college applications, it is totally appropriate–if not essential!–for other people to do it for you. There are three types of letters of recommendation:

• The Secondary School Report completed by your high school counselor
• Teacher Evaluation forms completed by one or more teachers, and
• Optional Recommendations written by others who “know and love you.”

Admissions officers pay a lot of attention to what the counselor, teachers and others say about you, so make sure you provide them everything they need to do the best job they can.

1. Many college applications now offer the counselor and teachers the option of completing online forms. Find out what your counselor and teachers’ preferences are–online or hard copy–and proceed accordingly.
2. Give your high school counselor and teachers all the materials they need, including
   • Counseling office materials
   • Activities resume
   • Your college list organized by application due dates
   • The proper forms with the top portion filled out by you
   • Stamped, college addressed envelopes (if hard copy is used)

   Always say yes to the confidentiality waiver on the Secondary School Report and Teacher Evaluation forms. Colleges are suspicious of students who do not waive their rights to see what the counselor and teachers say.

3. Give other recommenders (coaches, an employer, the head of a non-profit where you volunteer, a special private music or other teacher) all the materials they need to write outstanding letters of recommendation.
   • Activities resume
   • Your college list organized by application due dates
   • Stamped, college addressed envelopes
4. The people you ask to write recommendations for you should be those who know you the best, who write well and will say positive, memorable things about you.
5. Regardless of how famous, connected or prestigious they are, it is not a good idea to ask people who don’t know you well to write letters of recommendation on your behalf.

	Sophomore And Junior Years Grades 10 and 11 are when you should be developing relationships with teachers and your high school counselor.
	End of Junior Year The end of junior year is a good time to ask favorite teachers to write the teacher evaluations for your college applications. Because many teachers like to write evaluations during the summer and are often overwhelmed with student requests in the fall, it’s smart to ask teachers before school is out.
	Senior Year August/September If you haven’t asked your teachers before, now is the time to ask them about to complete the application Teacher Evaluations forms. Also touch base with your high school counselor about the School Report forms he/she will fill-in. October Provide each teacher, the high school counselor, and other recommenders with packages of recommendation materials, including your activities resume November Contact the colleges to which you are applying early to make sure that they have received your recommendation materials from teachers, the counselor and others. January Contact all of the colleges to which you have applied to make sure they have received your recommendation materials.
	Parents Starting your child’s freshman year, make sure to attend teacher and counselor meetings, as well as school open houses. It will help your student if you go out of your way to develop relationships with teachers, the counselor and other school personnel. Remember, how you behave positively and negatively with the counselor and teachers can affect your child. When you bring a request or complaint to someone at school, always be respectful and polite, regardless of how you might feel.

If you want more information about any of the above, or

School Counselor

• Do’s and don’ts in working with the school counselor, including how to help your school counselor do a good job for you
• What to do if you have a new counselor at the beginning of your senior year

Teachers

• Tips on how to help teachers do a good job for you
• How/why to ask teachers who are planning a sabbatical, maternity leave or retiring to write letters for you
• The differences between what the school counselors write about you and what teachers write

Special Recommendations

• Why Ivy League applicants need special recommendations
• Why students with less than stellar grades and test scores need special recommendations

Cover Sheets

• A sample cover sheet to give your counselor
• A sample cover sheet to give teachers
• A sample cover sheet to give other recommenders

• Who NOT to ask to write a letter of recommendation for you
• How to keep track of all of the forms and letters and make sure the colleges receive them
• A sample college list for recommenders, including why you like each school

If you want to gain access to Guide 13, Recommendations, click here for an online, bare bones version.

You can also purchase an illustrated, formatted, printable, PDF color version of this guide for $2.50. We offer this and 14 other printable color guides in order to support the upkeep of this website and to develop a future Spanish language version.

How the color PDF version differs from the free online one can best be demonstrated by your viewing a free guide by clicking here.