Letter of Recommendation Policy

2022/23

Dear Students and Parents;

It is that time of year for Seniors to request Letter of Recommendations. However, there always seems to be some confusion regarding the process of requesting Letters of Recommendations for College Applications and Scholarships.

First, let me clear up some misconceptions regarding Letters of Recommendations:

1. Writing Letters of Recommendations is part of a teacher’s job. The fact is that it is not part of our job, we as teachers have the option to accept or decline the writing of a Letter. The teacher is in fact doing a favor for the student.

2. Letters of Recommendations are easy to write and should be done quickly. The fact is that in order to write a proper Letter of Recommendation it does require a five to six week lead time. Remember the teacher writing the letter is also teaching full time.

Having cleared up these misconceptions, it is important to understand how to go about requesting a Letter of Recommendation. It is very important that all requesting Letters of Recommendation follow the procedure properly and complete the following (this must be done for each letter requested) in order to have your Letter written in a timely manner:

1. Type and print a cover letter to the teacher requesting a Letter of Recommendation including the name of the scholarship or school and the date it is needed (make sure it is 5 to 6 weeks from when the packet is given to the teacher).

2. Complete the Letter of Recommendation Checklist, making sure all requested items are included and attached:

a. Name of Scholarship/School

b. Date Requested

c. Date Needed

d. Student information Sheet

e. Resume

f. Actual current copy of your transcript

g. Class Ranking

h. Number of AP classes taken (including this year)

i. Number of AP Tests passed

j. Academic Honors Received and/or expected to Receive

k. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope if needed

Together, through a little upfront preparation, we can all make sure that you put your best foot forward while applying for university admission and scholarships.

Regards,

Cliff Nitschke

Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics