College letters of recommendation could be what swing the decisions for an admissions officer if to profiles are very similar and they have to choose. So, it is important to get the best recommendation letters possible if you want to get into your target schools and especially if you are trying for a reach school. Here are the two main things that are going to impact the quality of your letters.
- Ask at the right time – If you wait until the last minute, one of two things will happen. Either the letter will be rushed and subpar, or your first choice for letters will say no because they don’t have time. Then you will have to find someone else to write the letter for you. Neither option is good, so be sure to ask for your letters of recommendation as soon as you know what you need.
- Ask the right people – Read carefully what the school wants. Most of the time, the letters need to be academic in nature. However, you may be asked to provide a personal reference or work references. Start with teachers and counselors for your academic letters. If you work in your chosen field of study, a work reference could be your boss or a coworker. Since personal references are usually about your character, they can be a family member or friend. It is a good idea to choose people who want to write a letter for you.
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