Why are teacher recommendations important in private school and college applications?

A teacher’s letter of recommendation provides insight into your profile from an outside perspective. It’s meant to be an unbiased overview of your abilities, and because of this, institutions hold significant weight for their recommendation. It is also a way for the admissions office to see your growth and progress, as the recommendation can showcase your academic journey throughout the years. Moreover, it also provides admissions officers with notable examples or anecdotes that showcase your qualities. A common example would be your engagement and contribution during class or even what kind of person you are outside of school. These are all crucial details the admissions officers take into consideration when looking at your application.

Should I pick a teacher who gave me high grades?

It’s worth considering, but it shouldn’t be the only factor. A teacher who gave you high grades might not necessarily know you well enough to write a detailed and personal recommendation. There’s also the chance your teacher gave everyone in your class high grades; if so, your teacher may not actually have anything notable to talk about you. Instead, pick a teacher who knows you best and shares your interests and passions. A thoughtful, well-rounded recommendation is more impactful than one solely based on high grades. Just as how you would like to be showcased holistically, choose a teacher by assessing their whole character as well.

What should I do if a teacher declines my request?

Of course, it’s best to respect their decision and thank them for their honesty. Teachers are often busy, so it’s not a surprise that some may decline writing recommendations for students. To avoid getting declined again in the future, you should ensure you give teachers enough time to prepare for such requests. Last-minute requests are honestly a hassle for anyone, especially teachers. A good practice would be to list potential teachers long before application deadlines and before a month or so, go through each teacher on the list, and evaluate who knows you best, aligns with your goals, and is likely to write a strong letter.

How to Secure Strong Recommendation Letters for Archbishop Mitty

Teacher recommendations are a core aspect of private school and college applications. For Archbishop Mitty High School, it’s a way for schools to assess your profile outside of your grades or extracurriculars. What makes a teacher’s recommendation unique is that you don’t have complete control over your teacher’s words. You can have an excellent academic track record, but if your teacher recommendation showcases some of your rather unappealing aspects, your chances of getting admitted will be weakened.

With that, knowing how to choose the best teacher is the only guarantee that you can have a strong letter of recommendation. You need to choose a teacher who knows you well, aligns with your goals, and has strong writing skills.

Select Recommenders Who Know Your Strengths for Archbishop Mitty

Students typically make the mistake of choosing a teacher they are fond of instead of a teacher who actually knows their strengths. Your favorite teacher may paint you in a good light, but it risks the chance of it being based on general claims that don’t have much of an impact. Thus, it’s important to choose teachers who have the following qualities:

Teachers Who Have Seen You Excel

Teachers who handle the classes in which you excel are a great choice since they have typically seen your growth in that subject. Not only will they take note of your strengths and top performance, they will do so with concrete examples and anecdotes. In most cases, these teachers will highlight your work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and passions.

Prioritize Recent Teachers

It’s always better to choose your current teacher over past ones since they are more likely to know your current skills and most recent achievements. Teachers handle hundreds of students over the course of just one school year, so even if you excelled in their class in the past, they might not recall specific events to write about effectively.

Another great choice is a teacher you’ve had for multiple school years. It’s not uncommon for teachers to handle classes throughout different grade levels, and if you’ve ever had a teacher for multiple years, they can accurately write about your academic and personal growth.

Choose Teachers Who Align With Your Academic Goals for Archbishop Mitty

It’s important to remember that teacher recommendations aren’t only required to make you look good, but they are intended to be an unbiased overview for the admissions office to evaluate if you can meet the expectations of their institution. Therefore, teachers who are familiar with your intended field of study or share similar interests can provide a more authentic and compelling perspective on your abilities and aspirations.

Teachers Relevant to Your Field

Let’s say you’re applying to a university with the intent of majoring in engineering. Wouldn’t it look really odd if the admissions committee read your rec letter from an English teacher? It’s always best to choose teachers relevant to your field as they can showcase promising qualities that will allow you to meet an institution’s expectations. For example, it’s always best to choose a STEM teacher when you want to major in engineering or an English teacher when you aspire to be a creative writer.

Teachers With a Similar Background or Interests

A factor also worth considering is a teacher’s background or work experience previous to teaching. For example, let’s say you’re interested in environmental sustainability and you’re considering a major in Environmental Science. A perfect choice for a teacher would be a teacher with a background in the same major or who has worked in similar careers. This teacher can provide a shared perspective and highlight the qualities that showcase your ability in the field.

Prioritize Teachers with Strong Writing for Mitty Recommendations

You’ve found the perfect teacher who knows you like the back of their hand and shares your passions, but if they can’t communicate their thoughts effectively in writing, their recommendation will fall flat! Thus, a teacher’s writing skills are also worth considering.

Look for Teachers Who Have Strong Communication Skills

A good way of knowing a teacher’s level of communication is simply by assessing their effectiveness in class. As a student, you have firsthand experience with teachers who are more engaging and successful in conveying their thoughts and ideas.

Teachers who can articulate their thoughts well in the classroom tend to demonstrate similar clarity in their written communication. They can go beyond simply listing a student’s achievements and provide a more nuanced and compelling portrait of their character and potential. These skills are essential for writing strong recommendation letters that will effectively highlight a student’s strengths and potential.

Maximizing Your Recommendation Even Without the “Perfect” Teacher for Archbishop Mitty

Even with everything that you’ve learned, the perfect teacher who exhibits all the qualities we’ve discussed is incredibly rare. Finding a teacher who knows you well and aligns with your goals while also being an excellent writer is not always possible. If you have a teacher who embodies even two of these qualities, you’re already lucky.

So, what else can you do to ensure your Archbishop Mitty letter of recommendation is in the best possible position?

At Cardinal Education, we are here to support families through the application process. We offer insights and expertise to help you with aspects of the application, such as the letter of recommendation. Contact our educational and admissions consultants now to elevate your application to a whole new level!

How to Get Into Archbishop Mitty High School: What You Need To Know

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are teacher recommendations important in private school and college applications?
A teacher’s letter of recommendation provides insight into your profile from an outside perspective. It’s meant to be an unbiased overview of your abilities, and because of this, institutions hold significant weight for their recommendation. It is also a way for the admissions office to see your growth and progress, as the recommendation can showcase your academic journey throughout the years. Moreover, it also provides admissions officers with notable examples or anecdotes that showcase your qualities. A common example would be your engagement and contribution during class or even what kind of person you are outside of school. These are all crucial details the admissions officers take into consideration when looking at your application.
Should I pick a teacher who gave me high grades?
It’s worth considering, but it shouldn’t be the only factor. A teacher who gave you high grades might not necessarily know you well enough to write a detailed and personal recommendation. There’s also the chance your teacher gave everyone in your class high grades; if so, your teacher may not actually have anything notable to talk about you. Instead, pick a teacher who knows you best and shares your interests and passions. A thoughtful, well-rounded recommendation is more impactful than one solely based on high grades. Just as how you would like to be showcased holistically, choose a teacher by assessing their whole character as well.
What should I do if a teacher declines my request?
Of course, it’s best to respect their decision and thank them for their honesty. Teachers are often busy, so it’s not a surprise that some may decline writing recommendations for students. To avoid getting declined again in the future, you should ensure you give teachers enough time to prepare for such requests. Last-minute requests are honestly a hassle for anyone, especially teachers. A good practice would be to list potential teachers long before application deadlines and before a month or so, go through each teacher on the list, and evaluate who knows you best, aligns with your goals, and is likely to write a strong letter.