How to ask teachers and counselors for letters of recommendations
When applying to college, you’ll create and compile many documents and forms, all with the aim of showcasing your values, strengths, character, and potential. Among these, letters of recommendation and teacher evaluations hold a unique place. They are more than just formalities—they're personal endorsements that provide colleges with deeper insight into who you are in an academic context that goes beyond just grades and test scores.
Table of Contents
What exactly is a letter of recommendation and a teacher evaluation?
A letter of recommendation is a written statement from someone who knows you well, typically a teacher or counselor. The purpose of these letters is to highlight your strengths, character, and achievements from the perspective of someone who has observed you in a specific context, usually academic.
Teacher evaluations, also known as Teacher Recommendation Forms, are typically more structured than letters of recommendation. These evaluations often include a set of questions or a rating system where teachers can assess various aspects of your academic performance, intellectual curiosity, and character. The rating portion is usually facilitated by the application system such as the Common App.
How many letters of recommendation do I need?
Every college has its own requirements. Some require none at all while others may require up to 3 letters from a combination of your counselor and teachers.
For example, as of the 2024-25 admissions cycle:
The University of California admissions requires none, but may actually request them as part of a supplemental application review.
The University of Pennsylvania admissions requires letters from 1 counselor, 1 teacher from a core subject (English, math, science, history), and 1 more from another teacher (or supporter in your community).
The University of Southern California admissions requires only 1 letter of recommendation from either a counselor or a teacher. However, applicants to the School of Cinematic Arts need to submit 2 letters.
Double check the list of colleges you’re applying to and research their application requirements to find out how many you need and from whom. Check out our article on how to begin researching and creating a college list or grab our college list building template if you’re ready to go.
Who should I ask?
Try to choose teachers who know you well enough to be able to accurately characterize who you are as a student and as a learner. This doesn’t always have to be the teacher who gave you the highest grade or the most popular teacher that students always ask for recommendations. Teachers who have seen you grow over time are smart choices.
Some colleges require recommendations from teachers in core subjects such as English, math, science, or history. Be sure to double check each college’s specific requirements.
In general, you should try to ask:
A teacher who knows you and likes you: A teacher who knows you well can provide specific details as to who you are as a learner like your participation in class, how you work with others, and certain projects that you excelled in.
A teacher who taught you recently (preferably in your junior year): A teacher who taught you recently has the most up-to-date knowledge of you as a student. Your junior year classes are also often your hardest to date, so they also have the ability to talk about you in a challenging academic setting.
A teacher who taught you in a core subject (English, math, science, history): Most schools that require teacher recommendations and evaluations will ask for teachers from these core subjects, so it’s best to know this beforehand in order to ask the right people from the start. You don’t want to find yourself close to application deadlines only to realize that the people you’ve asked aren’t what colleges are requesting, or that you have to ask another teacher because the one you previously asked did not teach a core subject.
When should I ask?
You want to ask teachers and counselors as soon as possible to give them as much time as possible. Writing letters and evaluations take time and teachers aren’t only writing them for you. There are likely other students asking the same teachers you’re asking, so it’s best to ask early. Doing so prioritizes you because you asked first and shows courtesy and respect for their time which they’ll appreciate.
So, when exactly should you ask?
If you’re a super proactive junior year student who is on top of your college applications: Ask at the end of your junior year. For most students reading this, this will not be the case because it means that you have a college list ready and already have done the research to know which of your schools require letters, evaluations, and how many.
If you are a senior year student: Ask within the first two weeks of your senior year. Depending when your school year starts, this may be August or September.
If you are a senior year student applying Early Decision or Early Application: Because early decision and early application deadlines usually fall around November 1st, we recommend you ask in late August at the latest to give your recommenders at least 2 months. Ideally, you ask in person (more on that below), but if school starts in September, you should consider meeting your teacher(s), calling, or emailing them in August.
How do I ask?
Up to this point, we’ve covered what letters of recommendation and teacher evaluations are, who you should ask, and when to ask. But, how exactly do you ask?
Schedule a meeting in advance. Let your teacher and counselor know ahead of time that you’d like to speak with them one-on-one privately and in person about college and letters of recommendation. “Ahead of time” could be later that day during a free period, lunch, after school, tomorrow, or even later that week. The point is to give your recommenders a heads up so that they can find time in their schedule and won’t be caught off guard by your request.
Ask privately in person and one-on-one. Whenever you ask someone for a letter of recommendation, whether now or in the future, you should try to do so in person. Asking someone to write you a letter of recommendation is very personal and if you want something to be taken seriously, then it should be done privately, in-person, and one-on-one. The level of importance of a request can increase or decrease depending on the mode of communication. How seriously would you take it if someone asked you for something via text versus phone call versus in-person?
Have an appreciative and sincere tone. Be aware that teachers and counselors are not obligated to write student recommendation letters or evaluations, let alone stellar ones. You’re about to ask for something that takes up a significant amount of time that they don’t get paid for, so it’s important to be appreciative and sincere in how you ask. And especially so if you want a personalized, non-generic letter. Come across as demanding, entitled, or disingenuous and you could get rejected. I’ve provided some scripts below to give you an idea of tone.
Give them context. Tell them which schools you’re applying to and if it’s a recommendation submitted through the Common App. This is important because with the Common App, the same letter will be sent to every college you’re applying to, so they should avoid mentioning any specific school names.
Ask if they have a questionnaire or if you can provide one for them. Some teachers will ask you to fill out a questionnaire containing basic information questions and highlights of the things you did in their class. Building off of the previous tip, the purpose of this form is to provide context for teachers and counselors. Once again, teachers and counselors are not writing only your letter. They’re probably writing dozens of letters for many students. A questionnaire helps them get started quickly.
If a teacher does not ask you to fill out a questionnaire, you can ask if it’s okay for you to provide them one to help them write your letter. They will appreciate your proactiveness and it will result in a stronger, more personalized letter if you can give them examples of how you were in their class.
After you meet in person, follow up over email. It’s critical that you follow up over email since teachers and counselors are busy and may forget what you told them. The tone of your follow-up email should be grateful and humble. It should include their questionnaire or yours, and also your list of colleges that require recommendations and their respective deadlines.
Plan to write thank-you notes. Writing recommendation letters and evaluations are not obligatory. Teachers don’t get paid for them. You can consider getting them a small gift as a sign of your appreciation such as a gift card to their favorite cafe or bookstore, but at the very least, write a hand-written thank you note.
At the end of this article, I’ve provided sample scripts, email templates, and questionnaires that you can use which incorporate all these tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’m allowed to submit additional letters of recommendation?
If you have an elective teacher, athletic coach, religious leader, or other person in your life who you think could provide a different perspective on you as a student or community member, you could consider adding an additional recommendation letter if the college permits this.
The key question to ask yourself is: will this person add an entirely fresh perspective or context that others cannot? If not, there’s no need to submit additional letters.
What if I need 2 or 3 teachers? How should I pick?
Pick teachers who can highlight separate strengths you possess. This will require pre-planning on your part before you decide who to ask and what to put on different questionnaires for different teachers.
What if I don’t know any teachers or they don’t know me?
It’s always tough and awkward to ask someone who you don't know well for something. Ideally, you’ve built a relationship with your teachers during their class by this point. If not, it’s not too late:
Start building a connection now. It’s never too late to start building a relationship. Wherever you’re at in the school year as you’re reading this, start attending office hours, asking questions after class, and participating more in discussions. Show genuine interest in the subject and engage in the material. If you’re a senior, this can work well with a teacher who has also taught you in the past.
Use any past interactions. If you've had limited interactions, think about any notable moments—maybe you contributed to a class discussion, worked hard on a project, or received good feedback. Mention these when you reach out to the teacher. This shows that you have made an impression, even if it’s small, and can help jog their memory.
Acknowledge the situation thoughtfully and respectfully. If you’re approaching a teacher who you don’t have a strong relationship with, acknowledge it. Call out the elephant in the room while being respectful: “I know we haven’t had many one-on-one interactions, but I’ve really enjoyed your class, and I believe you’ve seen how I approach learning and problem-solving.” Offer them some context about yourself through the questionnaires, such as extracurriculars or personal achievements, so they can write a more personalized recommendation.
Sample conversation, email, and questionnaire templates
Sample conversation script
You don’t need to follow this word-for-word. Just get a sense of the overall vibe and direction of the conversation:
Hey Mr/Mrs. ______
So I’m applying to colleges this semester and I’ve got deadlines approaching in about ____ months. I’m trying to be proactive and wanted to talk to you as early as possible since some of these schools ask for letters of recommendation.
Your class is one of the most favorite ones I’ve had in high school and out of all the teachers I’ve had, I think you’re one of the few who know me best as a student.
Would you be willing to write me a strong letter of recommendation?
The first paragraph quickly provides context, the second explains why you’re asking them, and the third is the actual ask. The phrases “willing” and “strong” are important. “Willing and able” clearly communicates that you’re asking them with humility. “Strong” gives your teacher an out if they truly feel like they cannot write you a strong letter of recommendation.
If they say no:
That’s alright. Thank you for telling me and for taking the time to chat with me one-on-one. I’ll see you later!
It’s okay if they say no. It’s actually a win for you because you now know they wouldn’t have been able to write a strong letter for you anyway, and you want a teacher who can.
If they say yes:
Thank you Mr/Mrs. _____!
By the way, are there any forms or questionnaires you want me to fill out? If not, I can also provide you with one that contains info about my list of colleges and their deadlines and a bullet point list of the stuff I’ve done in your class like key moments and projects.
(Conversation probably continues on for a bit…)
Thank you again! I’ll email you with all of this information tonight/tomorrow/later this week.
Is there anything else you’d like from me?
After you thank them for saying yes, ask if they have a form or if they’d like a form from you. This shows proactiveness and forward thinking. Most importantly, they will appreciate you taking work off their plate and it will make writing a letter for you much smoother. Make it easy for them to do the thing you’re asking them to do.
Finally, you thank them again and let them know that you’ll email them this information either tonight, tomorrow, or later this week. I recommend that whatever you plan to do, pick the next option to give yourself more time and to account for any unexpected things that come up like homework, etc. If you say you’re going to email them tonight, but don’t, that won’t reflect will on you. Instead, if you say you’re going to email them tomorrow, but send it tonight, that signals punctuality and organization, like turning in a project early.
Sample email template
For the follow-up email, you can feel free to follow this word-for-word. Fill in the blanks with your personal details:
SUBJECT: [MY_NAME] Letter of recommendation follow-up (Deadline: Nov. 15)
BODY:
Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs. _____,
Thank you again for agreeing to write me a letter of recommendation. Like we chatted about, I’ve included relevant information that you may need or asked for in the questionnaire here[hyperlink to your questionnaire]. But to summarize, here’s what you need to know:
I’m applying to:
[School #1], deadline of _____.
[School #2], deadline of _____.
[School #3], deadline of _____.
The earliest deadline is _____. I hope that will be enough time.
I hope to study ________ and in the future, I’m thinking of pursuing _______.
Please let me know if there’s anything else you need. Also, I’ll probably send a check-in email ~1-2 weeks before the deadline to make sure everything is going well.
Thank you so much again Mr/Ms/Mrs. ______!
Best,
_________
Sample questionnaire template
Make a copy of our Google Doc templates below. There’s one for teachers and one for counselors. If you’re asking multiple teachers, remember to make a unique copy for each one.
When you send your follow-up email, the easiest thing to do is to hyperlink it in the email. Just remember to grant your teacher “edit access” before doing so or else they won’t be able to access the document.