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College Recommendation Letter: Everything You Need to Know

Our guide shows you who to ask, how to ask, and how to make sure the letters arrive with your application and showcase the best of who you are.

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College applications are typically the first time high school students need letters of recommendation. Don’t let this key step to the admissions process freak you out. Our guide shows you who to ask, how to ask, and how to make sure the letters arrive with your application and showcase the best of who you are.

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What is a college recommendation letter?

College letters of recommendation are letters written by teachers and guidance counselors showcasing a student’s achievements, personality traits, and dedication to their academic goals. They are used by admissions departments as part of their criteria for admission and to see if a student’s teachers think they are college ready. You can also submit supplemental letters of recommendation from other adults who know you well and can speak to your positive traits and experiences; however, the teacher and guidance counselor letters are typically the only ones required.

Who can write a letter of recommendation for college?

Most colleges and universities want 1-2 letters of recommendation from a teacher(s) and 1 letter of recommendation from a guidance counselor. This can vary school to school, however, so be sure you know the requirements of each of your schools.

Additionally, most colleges and universities allow you to submit supplemental letters of recommendation in addition to those they require. These letters, while not required, are a good way to showcase additional positive qualities or to highlight non-academic achievements. You should be purposeful in who you choose for these. Coaches, employers, and leaders of any non-school extracurricular activities tend to make good supplemental letter writers.

The key for all good letters of rec is that the person(s) you pick can speak to the qualities you are highlighting in your application. They need to be able to continue the narrative you are telling about yourself in your application materials. For example, if you’re telling a story about your ability to navigate community issues through diplomacy, the writer has to have something connected to that. They've seen you in community spaces and seen you act diplomatically in a difficult situation(s). They can and will speak to that, which futhers your narrative.

How many letters of recommendation do you need for college?

Typically you need 3: 2 from teachers and 1 from a guidance counselor. Some schools may ask for fewer, but not typically more than this number. You are also encouraged to submit supplementary letters of recommendation, but these are not required.

How long should a college letter of recommendation be?

Letters of recommendation are typically one typed page. Depending on the recommender’s writing style and how well they know you, the letter might be slightly longer or shorter, but should aim for one page. Too short and it could look like the recommender does not know you well enough to be writing a letter of recommendation; too long and you risk the letter not being read to completion - college admissions officers have a lot of letters to read through!

What should be included in a letter of recommendation for college?

A letter of recommendation should include how the writer knows you, what their experience has been like in the classroom with you (or activity for a supplemental letter), and what traits they see in you that will help you succeed in your chosen path in college. This letter should speak to your ethos statement   - the throughline of your college application - so that it supports the narrative you’re telling about yourself across your application.

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How to get a letter of recommendation for college?

Short answer: ask. Long answer: Make a list of teachers you feel have gotten to know you. If they have outside the classroom experiences with you, even better. Perhaps your AP Lit teacher is also your volleyball coach. Or maybe you’ve had the same math teacher for the last three semesters. Make a list of all the teachers you think you could ask, then decide on the two you want to ask. Have backups in mind just in case. Then ask them! Our tips for asking are below.

For supplemental letters, follow the same approach, but consider which adults in your life have gotten to know you but have also seen you shine at a particular activity that relates to your college goals. Be purposeful in who you pick. This could be a research mentor, a coach you’ve never had as a teacher, the supervising attorney at the law office you interned at, the leader of a civic organization, the organizer of a community coding group you participate in, etc.

How to ask for a letter of recommendation for college?

• Have an ethos statement. This is really key to your entire college application process. Before you even get to asking, be sure you’ve crafted a throughline that will guide the narrative. Ivy Tutor Network’s PAGE method will guide you through this. You’ll want all your recommenders to be aware of your ethos so they can speak to it in their letters.
• Ask in person first. Make sure to ask the teacher in person if they would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation. Tell them why you think they’re a good person to ask.
• Follow up with an email. Once the teacher has agreed, follow up with an email thanking them for agreeing to write you a recommendation and provide them with additional information and context to get them started, especially your ethos statement. See our example email below.
• Invite them to be a recommender on the application portal. For schools that use the Common App, you’ll want to input their information into the application portal so that they get an invitation to create a recommender account and have the ability to upload their letter once it's ready.
• Check in and send a reminder if needed. From your side of the Common App portal, you should be able to see when recommenders have submitted their letters. As the deadline approaches, send a reminder email (or two) to anyone whose letter has not been submitted. A week or two before the deadline is polite and helpful.
• Remember to thank them! Once the letter has been submitted, be sure to thank your teacher (or supplemental recommender). In person or via email is sufficient, but a handwritten thank you note goes the extra mile.

Letter of recommendation request example

We recommend always asking the teacher in person first. Once they’ve agreed, follow up with an email. It could read something like this:

Hi, Mr/Ms X,

Thank you for agreeing to write me a letter of recommendation. I know you have many students in a year and can’t know everything about each one. I’ve attached a list of things I’ve done outside your classroom that I think are a really important part of my experience. I am trying to position myself as ‘x’ (insert your ethos statement) throughout my application. I am intending to major in ‘x’ and your letter will be used for the following schools (insert school names). Please let me know if I can provide you with any further information.

On the Common App portal you should be able to see when letters have been submitted. Check regularly, and make sure to send a reminder a week before the deadline to those whose letters are still pending.

What does a good college recommendation letter look like?

A good college recommendation letter should address who you are inside the context of what the recommender teaches (literature, economics, biology, etc), and then show how the qualities they’ve seen of you in class will serve you on your chosen academic path. If, for example, you’ve asked your literature teacher to write you a recommendation, their letter should tell readers about your excellence in the classroom (“Jane is an insightful student, often drawing conclusions and making connections that others in the class miss.”), but then should connect that to your academic goal (“Jane’s ability to empathize with the human experience and understand how an individual’s experience influences their behavior and world view will serve her well as she pursues a degree and career in social work.”). This is why it is so important that you tell recommenders about your goal and how you intend to position yourself throughout your application materials.

Comparative language is another way teachers and guidance counselors can write an exceptional letter of recommendation. If they can situate your talents and qualities in terms of their broader teaching experience, this can set the letter - and you - apart. For example, if your teacher says “I’ve been teaching for ‘x’ years and Jane is one of the most ‘x’ students (insightful, intelligent, empathetic, ect) I’ve had in my classroom over years,” this is more impactful than simply saying “Jane is ‘x’”.

A good supplemental letter will also tie what the recommender knows of you to your ethos statement. In fact, that is the purpose of the supplemental letters: to choose people who can speak to the narrative you’re trying to convey in your other application materials.

How to send a letter of recommendation to a college?

As is the case with most things, letters of recommendation are sent digitally. Teachers and counselors will send the letters directly to your school(s). Typically this is done through the Common App’s recommender account. In your Common App portal you will invite your recommenders to provide a letter of recommendation. An email will notify them of this and ask them to create a recommender account which allows them to upload the letter they’ve written. This letter will then be shown to the schools you’ve selected. In the event one of your schools does not use the Common App, they will provide you with instructions for submitting letters of rec.

Letters of recommendation are an important part of the college application process. By starting early and following these guidelines you’re sure to end up with glowing reviews.

If you’re feeling stressed about the college admissions process, an Ivy Tutors Network College Admissions Coach can help. Reach out to get started .

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How to Write a Great Peer Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation

So your friend/sibling/classmate wants you to write her a peer recommendation. Being the awesome friend/sibling/classmate that you are, you've not only agreed to write the letter, but you plan to write the BEST recommendation letter of all time. 

Apart from good intentions (check!), what else do you need to write an outstanding peer recommendation? This guide will break down the content and structure of peer reference letters so you can help get your bestie into the college of her dreams (which is probably Dartmouth or Davidson, the only colleges I currently know of that require peer evaluations).

First, here is your mission, since you've chosen to accept it.

The Purpose of the Peer Recommendation

So far, only Dartmouth and Davidson ask for a peer evaluation as part of their applications. Some students choose to send one as a supplementary letter of recommendation. This can be a good idea if it adds an important dimension to their application or makes up for lackluster letters from teachers and counselors who don't know them well. In most circumstances, extra material tends to be discouraged, or admissions officers might prefer that the additional letter come from a coach, boss, or other supervisory person.

For Dartmouth and Davidson, though, the peer letter of recommendation is an important part of the application. A mediocre one probably won't destroy an application, but a truly outstanding one can give it a serious boost. What a truly outstanding letter can do is give deep insight into a student's character and personality , beyond what a teacher or counselor can communicate in their evaluation.

Obviously Dartmouth, as an Ivy League school, is incredibly selective and has high academic expectations. Davidson is also quite selective and chooses highly academically driven students. However, the peer recommendation isn't really meant to rave about a peer's academic abilities. Instead, it can speak to the applicant's character and personality, as well as to how she'll interact socially on a college campus.

According to Dartmouth, it doesn't " want another letter from a teacher, coach, or other supervisory presence in your life; we have enough of those. Ask a peer who can provide fresh insight into our interests and your character . "

Davidson , similarly, says, " You, as a close friend or classmate, know the applicant in a different way than do teachers, counselors, principals, and advisors. Your insights will help us to understand the nature and extent of the respect accorded to the applicant by peers ." In addition to a statement of support, Davidson asks peer recommenders to rate their friends on qualities like self-confidence, leadership, concern for others, reaction to criticism, and energy and initiative. 

As a peer recommender, you can give another dimension to and perspective on your friend's personality and help the admissions committee get to know him/her more deeply. This may sound like a tall order, because it is! But before you start worrying about getting writer's block, read on for suggestions on how to start. 

How do I help my friend get into college?!

How to Write a Strong Peer Recommendation

The best rec letters aren't written in a day, and it's definitely a good idea to consult a guide like this, rather than just winging it. Let's break down the steps to writing a great peer recommendation, starting with brainstorming.

Step 1: Brainstorm

Ah brainstorming, that oft suggested but little used first step. While perhaps you can afford to skip this step in other pieces of writing, I strongly recommend taking the time to do some mental mapping before writing your peer recommendation. The reason for this is that the best recommendation letters are focused and specific.

They highlight the most important strengths and impressive qualities in the applicants. Rather than presenting someone as well-rounded in everything, the most memorable reference letters zero in on particular areas. Then they tell specific stories that illustrate and, in a sense, provide evidence for these qualities. There are three main questions you should ask yourself before you start outlining and drafting:

• What qualities most impress me about my peer?
• What specific examples and anecdotes can I provide to demonstrate these qualities?
• What tone should I use to best express my recommendation?

Let's consider each of these questions individually. First, what qualities do you want to highlight?

I plan to highlight your exceptional fuzziness.

Personal Qualities and Traits

As you start brainstorming, try to come up with a list of the qualities that most impress you and others about your friend. Is s(he) exceptionally loyal? Supportive? Confident? Adventurous? How about encouraging, mature, energetic, insightful, or brilliant? 

This is a great stage to consult with your friend and get a sense of what she's writing about in his/her application or if she's applying to any particular program. If she's highlighting her passion for world events and multicultural exchange, for example, you could talk about that time you both went on the school trip to Europe and she conversed with all the people you met. If she's applying to be pre-med, you could talk about her passion for helping people and somewhat annoying tendency to pick science documentaries on movie nights.

In other words, find out what your friend is saying in other parts of her application, as well as what's missing. Then figure out how you can both complement and add further dimension to her story. 

Once you have your list, try to narrow it down to the three or four qualities that best characterize your friend. Consider whether they're the type of qualities that will impress admissions officers (though don't worry too much about this; you don't want your letter to read as if you're just saying what you think they'd like to hear). What I mean is stating that your friend is always the life of the party might come off as immature, whereas saying she takes on a role of leadership in group situations and has a great talent for mobilizing and energizing people might be interpreted more favorably.

Once you've narrowed down the traits you'd like to focus on in your letter, you can move onto the second phase of brainstorming: thinking of specific stories and examples.

That time you saved Timmy from the well is a perfect example of your bravery and selflessness.

Anecdotes and Examples

Which of these excerpts is more effective:

1. Anna is a kind person who loves to help others. She is a caring friend and student. 2. When Anna realized our school didn't provide any orientation for new students, she organized a club called  New Kids on the Block , where new and established students get together to have lunch and share their experiences. This is just one example of her kind and loving spirit and drive to make everyone feel connected and included.

The first is fine, but it doesn't do much to differentiate Anna from other applicants whose friends speak of their kind and caring nature. The second, though, proves that Anna cares about others and paints a picture of her organizing a club and bringing students together in the school.

Just like you use examples to support your points in a persuasive essay for English class, you can use meaningful stories to illuminate your friend's character. This will sound more powerful and effective, plus it will help your letter stand out among the rest. This approach will make it a more interesting piece of writing overall, rather than a list of positive adjectives that blend together before a tired admission officer's eyes. 

In other words, don't just tell the college how great your friend is. Show them.

Think About Tone

Finally, I would suggest considering tone and style. Your recommendation doesn't have to sound especially formal, like most teachers and counselors' letters would. As a peer, you can write more intimately and personally, as well as inject humor into your writing.

At the same time, don't try to be funny if comical writing isn't your strong suit. Instead, choose the tone that's most authentic for you and can most powerfully communicate a vision of your friend. Perhaps most important is to sound earnest, sincere, and heartfelt.

After you've brainstormed and determined the focus of your letter, it's time to start outlining and drafting. The following structure is a helpful guide for most peer recommendation letters. 

Structure is very important. Those sticks aren't going to pile themselves.

Step 2: Outline and Draft 

Letters of recommendation are typically one page. It may go onto a second page, but I wouldn't advise making it much longer than that. While you can be creative in your presentation, there are a few key elements that all rec letters should include. Let's start with what should go into the introduction.

Introduction

At the beginning of your evaluation, you should state your support for your friend's application to the school. You should also say who you are , what your relationship to the applicant is, and how long you've known her. This gives weight to your qualifications to assess the applicant. If there are any other special circumstances that make you an especially good person to evaluate her, then you can include those as well. 

All of these elements - your statement of support, introduction of yourself, and qualifier of your relationship - could be wrapped into one, or stated separately, like in these few examples.

I'm so excited to picture Allie on Dartmouth's campus. I have no doubt that she will bring the same infectious energy, silly humor, and deep friendship with her that she's shown to me and our peers all through high school. I'm honored and excited to provide this statement of support for David, who I recommend without reservation for Davidson College. When I was the nervous new kid in 6th grade, Sam didn't hesitate to invite me to sit next to her at lunch and show me around the school. Her caring and compassion for others, combined with her fearlessness in making new friends, makes me completely certain that she'll have no trouble adjusting to college campus life. From study groups to sleepovers, track meets to a tour bus on our school trip to Italy, I've gotten to know Jess as a student, athlete, explorer, and, most importantly, best friend.

Again, it's up to you to decide how exactly you want to start your recommendation, but your introductory paragraph should include an actual statement of recommendation, along with the context of your relationship to the applicant and hint as to why it makes you qualified to assess him/her. Which brings us to the next part of the letter, the actual evaluation of your friend.

Let's wrap this up...I have a very important nap to take.

In the conclusion to your peer recommendation, it's a good idea to restate your support for your friend, much as you did in the introduction, as well as describe how you envision her at college. Just like pieces of writing can grab a reader's attention with a strong hook at the beginning, they can leave a memorable impression with a strong statement at the end.

Think of the main impression you want to leave in admissions officers' minds after they finish reading. Why is it in their and the college's best interest to accept your friend?

Brian is the most talented, motivated, and well-spoken person I know. I recommend him enthusiastically for admission to Dartmouth. Sam has always aspired to study medicine and help make the world a healthier and more equitable place. I truly can't think of anyone better suited for this role. Who's that person I see in the bustling newsroom, writing groundbreaking stories as lead editor of The Dartmouth one year from today? Oh right, that's Sam. She's doing an amazing job, just as we all knew she would.

After drafting your letter of recommendation, go ahead and hit submit. Just kidding. You should definitely take the time to revise this important piece of writing.

Not just yet, carrier pigeon...there's still some revising to do.

Step 3: Revision

Hurray! You have your first draft of your peer recommendation complete. Now how can you make it even better? First off, I would again encourage you to check that you've given explicit examples and stories. Make sure it doesn't sound too abstract and uses anecdotes to demonstrate, rather than simply describe. As they say (whoever "they" is), actions speak louder than words.

Additionally, consider your word choice . Did you use "nice" when "generous" or "compassionate" might have been more appropriate? I'm not saying to use a thesaurus and add long synonyms where plain words work just as well, but check that you're using accurate and powerful words that express exactly what you want to say about your friend. It's also good to avoid cliches and consider how you can phrase your sentences in a fresh and creative way.

In a similar sense, pay close attention to your phrasing and consider whether it could come off in the wrong way. You might want to ask someone else to read it and give you feedback. For instance, you might want to express how close your friendship is by saying, " My friend is so loyal that we've done everything together since elementary school ." While this sounds great to you, it might come off as if your friend is disinterested in connecting with other people. Make sure that your phrasing is on point and won't be taken as a negative when you mean it to be positive.

You may even show the letter to your friend for feedback and comments. This is up to you, as recommendation letters are generally thought to be confidential and you're not obligated to show her.

Once you've made sure the spelling, grammar, and sentence structure is flawless and it reads as a powerful statement of support for your friend, you can go ahead and submit the letter to the college.

Step 4: Submit Your Letter

As peer recommender, you absolutely must get your recommendation in by the stated deadline. Make sure you know when that deadline is and exactly how to submit (no frantic midnight phone calls about the Common App website being down or your internet not working).

Your friend will invite you as the " Other Recommender " on the Common App for Dartmouth, and you'll likely upload your Davidson recommendation here . Once everything's done and submitted, you can give yourself a pat on the back. You're an awesome friend!

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Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.

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