Recommendation Letter for Student: Examples?

Hey guys! I need to ask one of my teachers for a recommendation letter for college. Does anyone know of a good example or template that I could provide to help guide my teacher? I want to make sure my letter stands out. Thanks!

Hi there! It's a great idea to provide some guidance to your teacher to help them write a strong recommendation letter. While it's not recommended to give them a template which might make the letter inauthentic, you can certainly share some tips and suggestions.

1. Contextualize your relationship: Ask your teacher to explain their relationship with you, such as how long they've known you and in what capacity (e.g., subject/course, projects, or extracurricular activities). This helps provide context and credibility to the letter.

2. Be specific and use anecdotes: Encourage your teacher to share specific anecdotes from their experience working with you. This can include moments when you demonstrated leadership, solved a challenging problem, or overcame adversity. These examples can bring your character and work ethic to life.

3. Highlight your strengths: Request that the teacher emphasize your key strengths or skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, resilience, or teamwork. They should tie these strengths to the examples mentioned in the anecdotes.

4. Discuss your impact: If possible, ask your teacher to outline the positive impact you've had on your peers, school, or community. This can show admissions officers the potential you have to contribute to their college community.

5. Connect to your future goals: Encourage your teacher to link the skills and experiences they discuss to your intended major or college goals. This can help demonstrate to admissions officers how well-prepared you are for college studies.

6. Be genuine and personal: Finally, ask your teacher to write the letter in their own voice, with genuine thoughts and impressions about you as a student. A heartfelt and sincere recommendation letter will stand out more than a template or formulaic approach.

You can also suggest that your teacher takes a look at some samples online to get a better idea of what a strong recommendation letter looks like. Remember to give your teacher ample time to write the letter and express your gratitude for their help! Good luck!