Do students need letters of recommendation for Ivy League Schools?
In short, yes! For high-achieving, ambitious high school students, the college admissions process can be very stressful. Top-tier colleges and universities often have more requirements than their less selective counterparts. For many students, one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the process is getting good letters of recommendation for Ivy League and other highly ranked schools. Many students feel like this part of the process is less transparent or out of their control. And it can certainly be scary to ask a respected teacher to vouch for you. However, letters of recommendation for Ivy League and top-tier schools are very important! Do NOT ignore this part of the process!
Why are letters of recommendation for Ivy League schools crucial?
Before we talk about how you can get great letters of recommendation for Ivy League schools, you need to understand why they’re important in the first place.
You don’t control letters of recommendation (directly)
Letters of recommendation are one of the only parts of your file that you don’t have direct control over. Admissions officers know that you didn’t write the letter of recommendation. And, if you waive your FERPA rights, they know you’ll never see the content of the letter. This means that letters of recommendation help admissions officers understand who you are from someone else’s perspective. For that reason, letters of recommendation can be an important document to support (or detract from) the story you’re telling about yourself in your application.
Teacher recommendations demonstrate your attitude inside the classroom
Ivy League and top-tier schools don’t just want people who can get good grades. They want scholars! They want students who are intellectually curious and super excited to learn. They want people who will bring their infectious scholastic enthusiasm to campus and exhibit that excitement both inside and outside of the classroom.
A transcript, even a straight-A transcript with impressive rigor, can’t tell admissions officers about your attitude, motivation, class participation, or curiosity. In order to put together a competitive Ivy League application, you need a teacher who will indicate that you are one of the brightest, most intellectually curious, enthusiastic, and motivated students they’ve ever worked with in their career.
How to get great letters of recommendation for Ivy League and top tier schools
You don’t write your own letters of recommendation, and, assuming you waive your FERPA rights, you won’t ever see what that say. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any influence at all over those letters. Here are a few tips to help you get the best letters of recommendation that you can.
Consider who you will ask to write your letters of recommendation for Ivy League schools
Naturally, a teacher can only write about what they know. If you give 110% every single day in your math class but don’t put in that same level of effort in your history class, your history teacher is not going to be able to praise your effort. So you want to ask yourself a couple questions. One: what do I want Ivy League and top-tier schools to know about me? What characteristics or qualities am I trying to showcase? Then two: which teachers have seen me demonstrate those behaviors?
Those are the teachers you’ll want to ask to write your letters. When it comes to figuring out who should write your recommendations, the traits you exhibit in a given teacher’s class are more important than the grade you got in that class. Let’s say you started out with a C- in your math class, but you came in every day after school and worked your tail off and ended with a B+. Your math teacher will have a lot to say about your work ethic and persistence, even though you never ended up getting that A.
Ask early, respectfully, and in person
It might feel awkward to ask a teacher to write a letter on your behalf. But keep in mind that teachers expect this. If you have a good working relationship with a teacher, they will most likely be happy to help you in any way they can on your path to college. That being said, even though teachers know they will be writing letters of recommendation, it’s not technically part of their job. They don’t get paid extra for writing you a letter! They are going out of their way to help you out. So be sure to be gracious and respectful of the time and effort they’re putting in to help you.
Give your letter writers clues!
Of course, you’re not going to tell your teachers exactly what to write in their letters, and they aren’t going to show you a draft before they send it off. That being said, after you have asked your teacher in person to write your letter (and they have agreed), you can send them a follow up email indicating some of the achievements you’ve had in their class that you are the proudest of.
Remind them of big projects or tests you excelled in or debates or discussions where you stood out. If there was a time you put in extra effort to help your group member, bring that to their attention. Help them understand how you have brought your intellectual curiosity and passion for the subject to the classroom all year long.
You can also give them a little context: what type of school are you hoping to attend? What type of major do you think you’ll pursue? By giving teachers a hint as to your perspective, you’ll get a stronger letter that will be consistent with the rest of your application. And teachers will thank you for making their job easier.
Need more advice on your college applications?
The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577. We’d be happy to chat with you.
