Stand out from the Crowd with Exceptional Recommendations
Every piece of a student’s application profile reveals something new to admissions officers and recommendations offer a great way to support a student’s achievements and contributions both in and out of the classroom. In fact, they are the only means colleges have of attaining outside perspectives of you. A strong recommendation should portray you in a positive light and show universities why you’d be an asset to their campus and community.
Just as each essay should highlight a different side of your personality, values, and accomplishments, so too should each recommendation. For college admissions purposes, there are three different kinds of recommenders you’ll need:
Teachers
School Counselor
Extra or Outside Recommenders
You’ll need to check with every college on your list for their specific recommendation requirements, but applications typically include two teachers, one counselor report, and at least one outside recommendation. Let’s break down what each of these recommendations look like.
Teacher Evaluations
First, you’ll need to request recommendations from at least one STEM and one humanities teacher. Ideally, these teachers will be from advanced classes (AP, IB, or honors) from junior year and at least one of them will be in a subject relevant to your intended major. Even if teachers have retired or are on leave, as long as you have their contact information, they can still provide a recommendation. No matter what, have a back-up plan and options to pursue if your recommenders fall through.
When selecting your recommenders, you should choose teachers who know you well. This means not only doing well in their classes, but taking initiative and making meaningful contributions to class discussions, group projects, and in your individual work.
Something to be aware of is that Common App doesn’t simply ask recommenders to write a letter, but to fill out a form that asks them to compare you to your peers and to students they’ve taught throughout their entire career in a variety of categories—from academic achievements to leadership and integrity.
Counselor Reports
The next person who will be submitting information for you will be your high school counselor. In the counselor report, they’ll share data on your school’s profile and your GPA, rank, and course selection. They will also rate your academic and extracurricular accomplishments and your personal qualities and character compared to your peers. Finally, they’ll recommend you anywhere from “No Basis” to “Enthusiastically.”
Like teachers, counselors will be honest in their assessment of you, which means they’ll be honest if they don’t know you very well or if you only talked to them for mandatory meetings about course selection. Establishing and maintaining a rapport with your counselor can lead to a more personalized and well-rounded counselor report. So, check in with your counselor throughout the year, talk about your classes and extracurriculars, and seek out their assistance in looking for volunteer opportunities and internships.
Outside Recommenders
The final—and most crucial—component of recommendations are extra or outside recommenders. Colleges want to hear about who you are as a person and how you’ve contributed to different communities.
In the past few years, colleges have started to value the perspectives of recommenders who know students outside of school. One example is UT Austin’s decision to strongly encourage the submission of recommendations from sources outside of an academic setting.
Choosing your outside recommenders is very important. They can be:
Internship supervisors
Employers
Volunteer coordinators
Research advisors
Mentors
Religious clergy
Athletic coaches
Music instructors
And more . . .
To secure strong extra recommendations, establish a rapport with those involved in your extracurricular activities. Ideally you’ll pick adults who you’ve known throughout your high school career so they can attest to your growth and attest to diverse aspects of your identity. If you can’t think of anyone matching this description, start now! Choose at least two mentors or supervisors currently in your life and be intentional about furthering those relationships so you can confidently ask them to serve as recommenders for you.
Bottom Line
If you are a rising senior, follow up with your chosen recommenders as soon as school starts. Share what you worked on over the summer and your plans for the future—maintaining a strong relationship will ensure your letter stands out!
If you have not asked your teachers to serve as recommenders yet, reach out to them via email or in person as soon as possible. In your requests, thank them for their help, provide any needed information (like brag sheets or Google forms), and include all important deadlines for your schools.
If you are in grades 9-11, start or continue developing meaningful relationships with your teachers, school counselor, and outside recommenders. Be active in class, attend tutorials/review sessions, take initiative in projects, seek feedback on independent work, share your goals, ask for additional resources, and talk to teachers after class. Keep in mind that you may need recommenders for more reasons than college applications (think internships and summer programs), so work on these relationships early.
We are here to help!
Our Steps Program for high school students grades 7th-11th, is a college admission counseling program that will help you get a head-start on planning for college admissions. You will meet with an experienced college counselor who will help you step-by-step in sculpting an outstanding academic and extracurricular profile. Our counselors can provide 1:1 guidance on how to establish a rapport with prospective recommenders, course selection, GPA management, internship placement, extracurricular selection, and more.
B2A also offers College Admissions Service (CAS) hours for application assistance and our Gateway Program, an all-inclusive college admissions counseling program designed to help students complete 5 applications. This includes every part of the college application process—from selecting recommenders and completing brag sheets to essays and filling out portals.
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