Letters of Recommendation

1. Do not list teachers as your recommenders until you have asked them.

Naviance, the Common App, and individual schools will alert teachers that you've done this. It makes you look presumptuous.

2. Ask early.

Some teachers cap the number of letters they will write.

All teachers require time, usually 4-6 weeks.

3. Ask in person and ask in private.

You want to make sure the teacher can write a strong letter for you. You want to watch for hesitation. Be ready to accept a "no."

4. Provide copious amounts of information.

Complete the Sailor Senior Survey -- and type it! Below are Google Doc versions of the 2018 revisions:

• Student survey
• Parent survey
• Parent survey in Spanish

Ask your recommender what else you should prepare.

5. Say thank you.

Thank you gifts are not necessary. Instead:

• hand write a card a week or so before your deadline (this works as a gentle reminder, too) or a about a week after the deadline.
• let your recommender know where you get in and where you don't.

I take letters of recommendation very seriously, and will do as good a job for you as possible. I will only write a letter for you if you meet the following criteria:

You have demonstrated that you write, read, and/or speak particularly well.

This will be shown via your "performance" grades. This doesn't mean you need to have an A in my class or need to be strong in every type of work we do, but you should have demonstrated ability in academic writing and/or free-choice writing, academic reading and/or free-choice reading.

OR

You have demonstrated exceptional effort.

This is harder to gauge, but can most readily be shown through the revisions you have chosen to write and your "practice" work grade. Certainly if you are routinely tardy, frequently absent, have not consistently turned in both practice and performance assignments on time, you should ask someone else.

OR

You're in the AVID Senior Seminar.

You want your letter to be as personal and detailed as possible. For that to happen, you need to help.

On paper

Print out and staple these documents in this order:

• The due dates page from the Counseling Packet. In the top right corner, in big and clear letters, write your name and your first deadline for a school that requires a letter of rec. ONLY list schools for which you need a letter of recommendation. If this is for a scholarship, make sure you're clear about due dates and submission requirements. Some scholarships ask for letters to be submitted electronically, but many prefer letters to be mailed.
• The signed and dated FERPA release form from the Counseling Packet.
• A transcript that includes your senior year classes. Unofficial is fine.

Electronically

Give me viewing rights to a folder titled by your first due date in numbers and then your name, such as: 1/15 Laura Barnebey. In it, put these clearly labelled documents:

• Your resume
• Student survey
• Parent survey
• A draft of your letter (AVID students: use this draft instead for scholarship letters. For academic letters, combine the most relevant parts of both.)
• A copy of one or two of the best writings you've done for me. Use the comment feature to point out particularly strong lines or sections. (AVID students: do this only if you were in one of my English classes.)
• Your application essay(s) -- rough drafts are fine. It helps me to know how you're presenting yourself. You don't want me to contradict you! (AVID students: this is particularly important for the OCDE scholarship.)

Remember that letters take time to write.

Please:

• Give me all of your information at least one month before your first deadline.
• For schools that do not use the Common App, make sure you find out how I can submit letters electronically.

Don't succumb to senioritis

You may well want the letter for scholarships, specific programs, or internship applications in the spring of your senior year. If your academic behavior slips, I will not continue to recommend you. In very serious cases, I may rescind my letter -- which means I notify anyone who received the letter that I can no longer recommend you.