College Admission Help

College Admission Help: Be The First To Ask
By MyCollegeCalendar
College-bound high school juniors should approach teachers and counselor(s) BEFORE the end of this school year for letters of recommendation for college admission.
Asking for letters of recommendation in the next two weeks will give teachers and counselors a “wow” factor because it demonstrates you (the student) are very serious about completing the college admission process and attending college. Furthermore, asking for recommendations now impresses adult recommenders and helps to ensure the letters they write will be superior.
Juniors should ask teachers and counselor(s) who know them and their excellent academic work, if they are willing to write strong letters of recommendation on their behalf. When recommenders agree to write letters, students should immediately provide a pre-prepared cover letter and résumé to each recommender. Further, students should say they are providing their information now so recommenders will have plenty of time to compose their recommendations well in advance of fall 2009 application deadlines.
Educators receive the vast majority of student requests for recommendations in late September through October 1. Giving teachers and counselors the ability to write recommendations at their own pace over the next months is the smart and courteous thing to do. Moreover, making early requests gives students the advantage of a head start with the college application process.
While most college application packets don’t include a “standard” letter of recommendation and, instead, use either a school-specific paper recommendation form or electronic submittal of a recommendation letter, giving teachers and counselors the option to compose a letter of recommendation over summer will be appreciated. Recommenders can compose a letter over the next three months that, in the coming fall, can either be attached easily to paper recommendation forms or copied and pasted into electronic forms used by the Common Application.
Demonstrate your courtesy, maturity, and ability to plan ahead by asking for letters of recommendation before leaving school for the summer.


College Admission Help: Be The First To Ask