Why recommendation letters are critical for Harvard and Stanford admissions
Teacher recommendations are probably the most underlerveraged (and consequently underutilized) assets in the elite college admissions cycle.
There’s an obvious reason why - the vast majority of students are afraid of their professors/teachers/coaches. They’re afraid of asking teachers for what they really want - an outstanding, vibrant recommendation letter that highlights strengths and re-affirms the student’s dominant strengths.
Part of the solution is to get over yourself. Be courageous. That’s something personal that this article won’t be able to help you achieve.
But I can help you with the actual steps. And following these steps will markedly increase your chance of getting the exact letter of recommendation you’d hoped for - one that Stanford, Harvard, and the best schools around the world will enjoy reading.
Here it goes:
1. Identify the recommenders who a) know you very well and b) you performed the best in their classes. These teachers will write the best letters of recommendation. Ideally they’re the same teachers that sponsor club and sports activities in which you are involved. If not, I’d recommend asking some of them to sponsor new clubs that you’d be starting. Win-win
2. Have your parents meet with that teacher/coach. I didn’t do this, but in retrospect I should have. Teacher-parent conferences are a helpful way to strengthen the student-teacher connection, and a great way for parents to indirectly express their concerns/wishes (and their kid’s wishes) to the teacher. Just make sure this type of meeting isn’t too aggressive. I actually remember reading teacher recommendations which casually referenced controlling parents…these don’t go over too well with your plans to get into Harvard
3. Prepare a letter addressed individually to that teacher. In a hand-written letter, talk about the following things:
-What universities and why - in more than just a few words
-Why that teacher was your top choice to write a recommendation
-A few “clear wins” that you’re very proud of, and any accomplishments that were either in that teacher’s classes or sponsored activities
-What your overall story is for the Ivy Leagues, and how what your record helps you build on that story
4. Prepare a brag-sheet. This should be the exact same one for Common Applications. Attach this for additional context
5. Schedule a meeting with your teacher in-person when asking them to write the referral. In this talk, make sure you cover similar topics to Step #3 - why you’re applying to Ivy League schools, why you think you should be accepted, what your story is that you’re telling Admissions Committees, and why you thought they’d be a great recommender. Don’t simply ask them to write a recommendation, smile politely, and walk out of the room. This in-person discussion is crucial to providing your teacher more data about your particular situation
6. GIVE YOUR TEACHER PLENTY OF TIME TO WRITE THE REC. A week is way too quick. A month is ideal. This is yet another example of how early planning is important for Ivy League universities
7. Followup subtly. If you haven’t heard a response from Mrs. Jones or Mr. Daniels and there’s 1 weeks before application deadlines, politely inquire about the status of your letter
8. Thank them! Give them a thank-you gift and/or card to express your appreciation. This won’t be the last time you’ll ask for their help and they’ve just done something for which they expected nothing in return
Step 5 is particularly critical. Do everything else wrong, but as long as you execute Step 5 well, your recommender will have the info and context they require to write something thats personal and shows they care. After reading thousands of these letters, you can quickly spot the genuine, heartfelt ones versus the form ones.