How to Write a College Recommendation Letter

If you are a high school teacher, you're probably inundated every year with requests for letters of recommendation. We can't promise to make the stack disappear any more quickly, but we can provide the steps to effective and persuasive letters.

Instructions

1. Ask the student for a copy of his transcript, a list of his extracurricular activities, and a copy of the essays and statement of purpose he is submitting with his college application. Familiarizing yourself with these will allow you to write a letter that nicely complements the rest of his application package.

2. Find out if there are any forms that you need to use, questionnaires you need to fill out, or special procedures that you need to follow. Some schools prefer that the letters are mailed directly to the school by the letter writer, while others prefer that they be enclosed with the other application materials.

3. Begin the letter with a statement of your name and position, the student's name, how long you have known him, and in what capacity. If you are a teacher, list which classes the student has taken with you.

4. Describe two or three of the student's most notable qualities, giving specific examples of how he has demonstrated those qualities in the past. Consider describing the student's academic aptitude, intelligence, perseverance, maturity, self-discipline, social skills, participation in extracurricular activities, and service to his community.

5. Compare the student to others you have known in as specific a manner as possible. If you are a teacher, for example, you might claim that overall the applicant is in the top 25% of his class at your exclusive prep school, or you might say that he is the very best Latin student you have had in five years of teaching 100 students a year.

6. Address any weaknesses in the student's application, if possible, perhaps describing any mitigating circumstances. If finances required that he quit one of his after-school activities to take a job, for example, you can mention that here.

7. Conclude the letter with your general assessment of the student and his potential to thrive at the college to which he is seeking admission. The language should be strong, but not overblown or insincere.

8. Add your contact information and an offer to respond to follow-up questions if you are willing to do so.

9. Save a copy of the letter. It will save you a lot of time and effort should he need a recommendation letter for another school in the future.

10. Mail the letter or deliver it to the student on time.

Tips & Warnings

• One and a half to two pages is generally the ideal length for a letter of recommendation. Any less and the reader will suspect you don't have much to say about the student, any more and it is likely the entire letter won't be read.

• The best recommendations take into consideration the school the student is applying to. If you know that the school is the student's first choice, say that in the letter. Or, if the college is known for its excellent marching band, mention that the student is the school's best trumpet player.

• Teachers might want to collect the exams and papers the student has submitted in their course(s). You'll be better equipped to discuss the student's perfect score on a difficult exam or his insightful comments in his paper on Beowulf with these on hand.

• If you cannot honestly write an enthusiastic letter for the student, it's better to suggest they find someone else rather than write a lukewarm letter, which is unlikely to impress the admissions officer.