Gaining acceptance to the college of your choice is hard work, but well worth your efforts in the end. One of the tasks at hand is obtaining a couple of solid letters of recommendation (LOR) from your teachers. Here’s how you should go about it:

1. Go to your guidance counselor first. The procedure is different in every school and you want to make sure that you go about it the right way. Find out if your school does the letter submitting as part of sending your transcripts, or if you’ll be asking your teacher to do it. You’ll want to make it as easy as possible for your teacher, who likely will be writing for many students each year.

2. Choose the teacher(s) that you want to ask. This is the hardest part, actually. You want to ask the teacher who knows you the best. They need to be able to speak to your strengths in problem-solving and your abilities to communicate within the classroom as well as in writing. You don’t have to choose the teacher from your favorite subject; rather, select based the teacher who has the best idea of who you are as a student. It’s okay if this teacher is from an extra-curricular class such as music or a coach, as long as you include a strong letter from one of the core classes as well. These include social studies, math, foreign language, science and English.

3. Allow enough time. Ingrain the application deadline from your universities of choice into your head. Then, back track and allow the teachers that you ask for letters enough time (at least a month!) to put their words down on paper on your behalf. Keep in mind that teachers are busy people and don’t ask during heavy grading periods or holidays.

4. Make your request in person. When you are ready to ask your teacher for the recommendation, try not to be nervous. This is a part of their job and they expect to be asked. Try to make it easier on them by doing so during their free period or after school. Don’t rely on email or voice mail; show the initiative befitting a young college student by asking face-to-face. Practice your wording so that you are comfortable with it. Brown-nosing is not the way to go, rather, compliment the relationship that you have built with the teacher and credit it for helping to bring out the best in you. Here’s an example, “Mrs. Smith, I think that you know me better than any of the other teachers. The work we’ve done in your class has brought out the best in me and you’ve played a big part in that. Would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me?”

5. Once the teacher agrees, provide a folder of everything that is needed for the process. You’ll need your resume, your personal statement, a statement of purpose (one or two paragraphs that explain the kind of college you hope to attend and why), a list of the colleges you are applying to (complete with application deadline and mailing address), the appropriate recommendation form, envelopes for the letter to go into (stamped if going to the college, plain if it goes to your high school guidance office), your contact information and a heartfelt thank you note to the teacher. You’ll need at least two solid LORs. Be sure to drop by with good news after you get accepted and stay in touch through the years to share your successes to reward your teachers’ efforts.

You’ll need at least two solid LORs. Be sure to drop by with good news after you get accepted and stay in touch through the years to share your successes to reward your teachers’ efforts.

Ellen Spencer is an adult education teacher who advises her students on online degrees and online college programs for working adults.