Sage-Tips

Do letters of recommendation have to be school specific?

Read each of your college applications carefully. Schools often ask for letters of recommendation from an academic teacher — sometimes in a specific subject — or a school counselor or both. Choose one of your teachers from junior year or a current teacher who has known you for a while.

Do recommendation letters have to be from high school teachers?

Ideally, your college recommendation letters should come from high school teachers who know you well in an academic subject. And though it’s nice to hear that you got an A in their class, it’s even better when an instructor can talk about how you think, solve problems, and engage with new material.

How long should you give a teacher to write a letter of recommendation?

The rule of thumb is you should give your recommender a full month, but you should never give less than two weeks. In fact, you can even tell them several months ahead of time that you plan to ask them to write a letter when the time comes.

What schools dont require letters of recommendation?

Here are a few schools that, generally speaking, don’t require recommendation letters:

• Penn State University (unless specified by a program)
• University of California schools.
• University of Minnesota.
• University of Texas.
• University of Washington.

Do letters of recommendation have to come from teachers?

It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your junior or senior year of high school. The instructions make it very clear that the letter needs to be from a teacher who has taught one of the subjects mentioned.

Do teachers write letters of recommendation?

Unlike your school college counselor, teachers are not expected to write letters of recommendation for their students. If a teacher appears reluctant to write you a letter, do not insist on it. For schools that require a hard copy of the letter, provide an addressed, stamped envelope.

What is a weak recommendation letter?

The letter lists duties expected of any student, but is vague and does not give specific, accurate details about skills or attitudes, communicating that the letter writer knew the student well. There is also no comment on the quality of the student’s work.