Putting together college applications requires a lot of paperwork. A student must write essays, collect their transcripts, get signatures from counselors and parents, and request letters of recommendation.

A good letter of recommendation will give new information and context to a student’s application. It should come from someone who knows the student very well. There are a few different types of letters of recommendation, and requirements are different for most schools, and can change at any point. In fact, UT Austin recently updated their requirements for the 2024-2025 application cycle.

The Counselor Letter

Every college and university will require a letter of recommendation from the student’s counselor. This letter will most likely be generic, due to the fact that high school counselors have an enormous number of students they are responsible for, and don’t often have time to make personal relationships. This is okay. A counselor has access to the student’s entire transcript, and (hopefully) has assisted the student to select courses and set goals throughout their time in high school. A counselor letter will be a big picture letter.

The Academic Letter(s)

Most, if not all, colleges and universities will require between 1 and 3 additional letters of recommendation from an academic source. This means a teacher. Be careful to read the school’s requirements for these letters; if a student is applying to a STEM program, the letters may need to come from specific departments, such as a science or math teacher. The best academic letters of recommendation come from teachers who know the student well, ideally both within and outside the classroom (e.g. an AP English teacher who is also head of the school’s NHS chapter), and the course involves larger projects that show off a student’s ability to do higher-level work.

The Sports Letter (optional)

If a student is in a varsity or otherwise competitive sport, some schools offer a place for a letter of recommendation from their coach. This letter typically speaks to a student’s qualities of perseverance, time management skills, and dedication. A good letter will give a specific example of when the student overcame a difficult situation, or showed good sportsmanship, or another positive personality trait.

The Professional Letter (optional)

In lieu of a letter from a coach, a student may submit a letter of recommendation from a supervisor at work or from a meaningful internship. This is only recommended if the internship was significantly meaningful, e.g. in the industry in which a student aims to work, or happened over the course of several summers. This letter can come from leadership at a community service organization as well. Once more, it is important to note that a good letter of recommendation comes from someone who knows the student well.

The Peer Letter (wild card)

Perhaps most famously used by Dartmouth College, the peer letter of recommendation comes from a fellow student. It is a lot to ask of a friend, but these can be the most meaningful letters of all. Topics can range from clubs and sports done together to speaking about how a student helped them overcome a tough situation at home.

Etiquette

Perhaps most important of all when considering who to tap for this task is remembering your pleases and thank-yous. Ask politely. Accept that the person you ask can say no. Never ask to see the letters before they are sent – this is considered rude. If you don’t trust the person to say something nice and to say it well, don’t ask them in the first place. And finally, write a thank you note. This small gesture goes a long way to solidifying connections with the people who have influenced you the most.

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