For juniors with aspirations of attending their dream college, one crucial step is forming relationships with your teachers. Throughout the application process, if you wish to attend a private college, you will most likely be called on to provide a teacher recommendation. 

The coronavirus also has the potential to change this process so it is better to ask your teachers sooner than later. Many junior teachers are in high demand entering senior year, so they have set up systems to choose which students they wish to write letters of recommendation for. This means that you may have to fill out an application or set aside time to attend an interview, but before this begins, you should express interest and express it early on. 

“I send out in June what students need to do if they want a letter of recommendation. I set up a Google Classroom and let students know that they need to express interest. I really get to know those students over the summer from the information that I ask from them. I usually get anywhere from 50 to 60 requests. This is a lot for any teacher. They ask me and when I am making decisions about cuts I have to decide if I can write enough about this person or if they simply sat in class,” said English teacher Ms. Nicole Zaidi.

Ms. Zaidi is one of the teachers who are asked to write the most letters of recommendation. According to her, this year will be much more difficult than normal years because she is normally able to make connections in class, but over Zoom, it is much harder to tell if a student is truly present. She urges everyone to try to engage with their teachers and meet them halfway. It typically takes her anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour to write a letter of recommendation per student as she wants to do them justice. She has already begun urging her students to try to get to know her in class.

“You have to make the effort to go in and make the connection. If you don’t ever go in and make the connection then they will sit down and write the letter and think that you are one of 800 seniors who all have A’s, but they won’t know you,” said Ms. Ashley Novak.

Ms. Novak is also an English teacher and the Speech and Debate coach at AHS, and she has had plenty of experience with the recommendation letter process. She urges juniors to try to make an impression on their teachers as it has become more difficult to get to know students through online learning. We are all trying to create connections in school but the online format means that there are less opportunities to truly get to know people.

“I would encourage everyone to try to participate when the teacher asks a question or request an office hours visit for questions that you might have. Regardless of aspirations to a place of higher learning it will make your experience in the class better if you push past the awkwardness of the format. The lack of face-to-face interaction means that even if you are doing a stellar academic job in the class, the teacher might not have a solid impression of you if you aren’t expressing interest outside of assignments,” she added.

For the Common Application, teachers are asked to measure their students against every student they have had in the past. This means that you should endeavor to make your actual personality known. Teachers can tell if you are purposely putting on a false demeanor, and authentic connections will be more helpful in the long run. 

If you need several letters of recommendation, another helpful tip is to approach teachers in different subjects. This way the colleges you are applying to can see that you are well-rounded in several subjects. Even if you have not distinguished yourself in class so far, it is never too late to start making these connections. 

Make sure to take note of any particular moments in class that you have enjoyed thus far, as it can be helpful to bring them up when you are applying for a letter of recommendation or simply talking with your teacher. By making notes yourself, you can remind your teacher of these times and make the process easier for them. Once you have received your letter of recommendation, make sure to thank your teachers for their time. Normally, this would mean meeting in person or writing a handwritten note, but as face-to-face interaction is still prohibited in the near future, a sincere email can go a long way. 

Graphic courtesy of PDFFILLER.COM