We’re several months ahead of even the most pressing college application deadlines, but most seniors have been confronted with an issue that demands immediate attention: Requesting letters of recommendation, or LoRs. Clearly, this needs to be done immediately (most teachers will need not just the request itself, but also a “brag sheet,” senior questionnaire, or other info, all of which takes time) but it also needs to be done smartly. Some insight, then, on who to pick and how to pick.

Pick Strategically

In most cases, I use the following cheat sheet to help students narrow down their recommenders:

• The recommender should be a teacher in an academic class. Auto Tech and AVID, for instance, are out. Math, science, and the humanities are in. Elective teachers, art instructors, and similar profs can go either way, although there are some selective schools (e.g. Pomona College) that accept LoRs from art teachers only if the classes taken from them were AP level or similar.

• You should have studied under the recommender for a full year. In other words, an instructor that you’ve had for just a semester won’t work. Remember: in just about every LoR form, there will be the question, “How long and in what context have you known the applicant?” A one-semester teacher reflects weakly.
  

• Stay away from teachers you had only for freshman year; it’s just too far in the past for the rec to be relevant. In fact, some schools (e.g. CalTech) discourage letters from teachers you had before junior year.
  

• Stay away from teachers whom you will have had only for senior year. There’s not enough time for them to get to know you!

• If, after all of this, you still have a large number of potential LoR writers, this would be the tie-breaker: Who can write you the most glowing letter?

• The final tie-breaker? All other things being equal, choose one math/science and one humanities teacher. It’s nice (although usually not required) to show “both sides of the brain.” Keep in mind, by the way, that you will need two recommenders for most private school applications.

Build a Brag Sheet

When assisting a student with the college application process, I’ll typically help the students put together “brag sheets.” Many high schools will provide their own versions of this form, but, in the event that they don’t, the student should build one.

The brag sheet is really just a heavily annotated resume that highlights the student’s most impressive attributes, areas of involvement, activities, and skills. It guides the recommender toward a particular way of speaking about the student, which should fit in with the general theme that the student is trying to present to the college in her application. In other words, it’s a roadmap – a very strong suggestion – to the recommender that very subtly asks, “Can you please write about me in this way?”

Know Your College!

This is hugely important: Know what the school wants. For instance, applicants to MIT, CalTech, and Harvey Mudd College will typically be math and science students. However, these schools want to see (as we alluded to above) both sides of the brain represented. All three schools want to see not only a letter from a math/science teacher, but also an instructor in the humanities.

Extra Support is Good…but Don’t Go Crazy

If you’ve taken college classes, have done research, or are presented with a line of teachers queuing up to write your LoR, then perhaps you’ll want to submit an extra letter. This is fine, but don’t go overboard. Be aware that, while most schools are fine accepting additional information, too many letters (especially if they’re largely irrelevant, or they’re just submitted to show support from an “important” person) will annoy the readers and will take away from the remainder of the application. Cease and desist after two “extra” LoRs at the very most. And, even then, ensure that the college in question doesn’t have policies strongly discouraging such submissions.

In the End…

Schools look at letters of recommendation differently. Some will use them as a significant portion of the application review. Other colleges will simply file them away, never to read them. In all cases, though, they should be strategized and prepared for well. Colleges want to know that they will be admitting students who can fit with the school environment. The more the recommender can attest to the student’s personality, commitment, and drive, the better a “fit” the student will typically appear to be in the eyes of the majority of college admissions officers. Good luck!