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Tips for Requesting Letters of Recommendation

When to ask, who to ask, and how to make it easy for your teachers to write a strong letter on your behalf — from a teacher who has written hundreds.

The Student’s Responsibility

It Starts Long Before the Ask

The biggest impact of a letter of recommendation does not come from the document itself. It comes from the evidence you create in the classroom months before the letter is ever written.

Mr. Chan taught in public school for 12 years — sophomores, juniors, and seniors. He would tell every student the same thing: you need to use your time in class to create memorable, impressive moments so that when a teacher sits down to write your letter, they have evidence to draw from.

A teacher’s honest perspective: “Sometimes it’s not that I don’t want to write a student a good letter of recommendation. It’s that I don’t know what to write.” The responsibility for creating that evidence falls on you, the student.

The longest letter Mr. Chan ever wrote was three pages, single-spaced. That student had given him years of material to draw from. They are still in contact more than 15 years later. Compare that to a senior-year student who asks a teacher they met in August for a letter due in November. There are simply not enough interactions to write something substantial.

Timing & Strategy

Who to Ask and When

Ask your junior year teachers. The letter should come from teachers who know the most recent version of you. If you ask a sophomore-year teacher instead, you are indirectly signaling that your junior year did not go well — even if that is not your intention. Your junior year teachers can speak to who you are right now.

If you do want to ask a teacher from an earlier year, make sure you maintain regular contact with them throughout your junior year so they still know you well enough to write confidently. Popping up after a year of silence to ask for a letter puts both of you in an awkward position.

Ask early. The right time is after spring break and before the end of your junior year. Do not wait until senior year. When you make the request, provide three things:

The submission method — is it by mail, online, or another format?
A clear deadline for when the letter must be submitted.
Your intended major and career direction, so the teacher can connect your classroom performance to your future aspirations.

Make It Easy

Help Your Teachers Help You

Share specific examples of what you have accomplished in their class. Teachers see hundreds of students. If there was a project, a presentation, or a moment that stood out, remind them. Do not assume they will remember everything.

Share your future plans. Mr. Chan says he would love to include how a student he is recommending would be a great fit for a specific field. But if the student never mentions their intended major, that connection cannot be made. Tell your teacher what you want to study and why — it gives them the context to write a letter that ties your classroom performance to your aspirations.

Ask yourself: if you were the teacher, how much would you know about this student? If the answer is “not much,” then you have work to do — and the semester is your opportunity to create that evidence.

From a Teacher’s Perspective

What Students Get Wrong

Mistakes Mr. Chan has seen firsthand over 12 years of writing recommendation letters.

Asking a teacher who barely knows you.

Some students ask senior-year teachers for a letter of recommendation when they have only known the teacher since August and the application is due by November. There are simply not enough interactions for the teacher to write anything meaningful. The result is a generic letter that says “this student is good” and nothing more.

Always ask teachers from your junior year who have had a full year to observe your growth, effort, and character.

Not giving your teacher enough to write about.

Teachers rarely decline a recommendation request. But a willing teacher with nothing to say produces a weak letter. The problem is not the teacher — it is that the student did not create memorable moments in class.

Participate. Ask thoughtful questions. Go beyond what is required. The evidence your teacher writes about is evidence you created.

Handing your teacher a resume instead of talking to them.

Some students hand their teacher a resume and expect it to supplement the letter. Mr. Chan’s response: “If I know you, I know you. If I don’t know you, a resume is not going to help — because I am not going to write about something that is already on the resume.”

Instead, have a genuine conversation. Share specific things you did in class and where you see yourself in the future.

Offering gift cards as a thank-you.

Mr. Chan does not prefer gift cards. He would rather receive a handwritten card with a heartfelt message — long or short. Those are the ones he keeps. A genuine expression of gratitude is worth more than any dollar amount.

Waiting until senior year to ask.

By senior year, your junior-year teachers have moved on to a new cohort of students. The longer you wait, the less fresh your interactions are in their memory. Ask after spring break of junior year — that is when you are still fresh in their minds and there is plenty of time to prepare.

Tips for Requesting Letters of Recommendation

Listen to the Full Episode

It Starts Long Before the Ask

Who to Ask and When

Help Your Teachers Help You

What Students Get Wrong

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