College 101
Recommendation Letter Request Template Article Type: Tasty Bits
Okay, time to man up and turn that letter of recommendation you desperately need from a twinkle in your eye to an actual Word document. Since every other junior in your high school is after the same thing you are, be that one guy or gal who makes the letter-of-rec process so easy for your wonderful, fabulous, underpaid teacher, that Mr. AP U.S. History will sing your praises until the day he shuffles off this mortal coil.
Start by going to your teacher in person to ask them for a letter of recommendation. Your future hangs in the balance here, so don't leave this to a Facebook message. Be appropriately thankful when your teacher says “yes”. Weep tears of undying gratitude as needed.
Follow up on that in-person request with an e-mail specifying exactly what you need for your recommendation. A written request will get you a stellar letter written in a timely manner so you can worry about more important things, like how to talk your parents into letting you take a car to college. If you don't provide a written request, then you're signing yourself up for a one-way ticket to flipping burgers for the rest of your life.
Car at college = good. Flipping burgers and no college = bad.
Looking for a letter of recommendation request template that'll wow your teacher? Well, here you go. Get to the cuttin' and the pastin'.
Request for Letter of Recommendation for _____________________________
Dear ____________,
I am applying to__________________ college/university, and would very much appreciate a recommendation letter from you.
Attached, you will find my Brag Sheet which lists my strengths and accomplishments to use in your letter. While I would be happy for you to include any of the attached information, I would most appreciate you focusing on the following characteristics and achievements:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please address the letter to the following:
School:_____________________________________
Attn:________________________________________
Street Address:_______________________________
City, State and Zip Code:_______________________
Please do the following when the letter is complete (email, print and mail, etc.):
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you very much for your time and for your valuable recommendation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Remember, it's one e-mail per letter of recommendation you want written. Jam three or four rec requests into one e-mail and something will go horribly, terribly wrong. You will be courting disaster. You will be asking to spend your days smelling like a giant French fry.
Also, attach your Brag Sheet to the e-mail request. You'd be shocked at how many people forget this bit.
Most institutions of higher education are aware that we live in the 21st century and have adjusted their application processes accordingly, which means your teacher will likely be submitting your letter of recommendation online. Hooray for fast and easy!
However, should the admissions office of your college(s) of choice still require letters to be submitted via Pony Express, then make sure you prep a stamped, addressed manila envelope for your teacher...and have fun when you get to Dark Ages U! Try the chastity belts, we hear they're all the rage this year.
Now that you've placed your future in your teacher's hands, here are The Top Five Things You Absolutely Should Not Do Under Any Circumstances:
- Pick your nose, because that's disgusting.
- Misplace your Burn Book at school.
- Nag your teacher.
- Nag your teacher some more.
- Use your psychic powers to nag your teacher in their dreams.
Seriously, give your teacher the time they need to write that epic letter of recommendation. Most teachers have been through this rodeo before, and will get your rec in with time to spare. That being said, this is yourcollege application we're talking about, and knowing the letter submission deadlines is on you. If your recommendation needs to be at Big State U by next week and your teacher hasn't mentioned whether or not your rec has been submitted, then, for the love of Pete, ask what's up.
Once your teacher's letter of recommendation has reached its destination and you're one step closer to going to college and one step farther from a career of mopping up pee in the men's bathroom, it's time to say thank you.
A simple, verbal “thank you” is nice...although we guarantee extra karma points if you handwrite a thank you note. A cookie bouquet is probably extreme. Besides, that letter is already in a manila folder somewhere: it's too late for bribery by snickerdoodles. However you choose to say thanks, be sincere. Your teacher just did you a solid and rescued you from the eternal ear-piecing song of the chicken nugget fryer.