Letters of recommendation
Asking for a letter of recommendation is an essential skill for all students and professionals. If you would like to ask me (Swiftney) for a positive, academic letter of recommendation please do the following:
1. Read the philosophical statement about letters of rec detailed beneath these instructions, and follow the advice therein as you proceed with this process.
2. Politely ask if your teacher will write a POSITIVE letter of recommendation. Upon getting confirmation, proceed to step 3.
3. Electronically fill out the letter of recommendation questionnaire (bottom of this page) ONLY if I (Swiftney) agrees to write a letter of recommendation for you and you've completed steps one & two (above).
4. Send the completed file to [email protected]. (I would recommend sending your file as a .doc or .docx file labelled "lastname_Firstname_questionnaire").
Letters of Recommendation: A Philosophical Statement
The student who asks a teacher or supervisor for a recommendation letter must realize the following: teachers take the writing of letters of rec very seriously and they expect students to do the same. Recommendations reflect not just the quality of the student but also the integrity of the teacher and ultimately the school as well. Teachers are obligated to be objective and specific about a student’s fitness for a given position; if colleges and employers learn to distrust a SHS faculty member, it puts that teacher’s reputation as well as the entire school’s reputation in jeopardy and that damages the prospects of all SHS students seeking positions after graduation.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
1. Use the word PLEASE. Always. Never demand a teacher give you a letter of recommendation. Writing letters of recommendation are NOT part of a teacher's job description. It's written/worked on outside of the school day during a teacher's personal time. You need to respect that and ask nicely. NO EXCEPTIONS.
2. Never assume that the teacher will be willing to write a letter. Always ask first, even if the teacher has written a letter for you in the past. You should also ask for permission to list a teacher’s name as a reference on an application, even if no letter is required. It is rude for the teacher to get notification from a school BEFORE being asked.
3. Don’t just drop off forms and info on the teacher’s desk or send them as email attachments— ask for an appointment to meet with the teacher in person and hand off the forms & info. Forms left in a mailbox or on a desk can be lost. NOT THE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY UNLESS HANDED OFF.
4. If a teacher denies your request, it may sting a little; but don’t assume this means you’re a bad student or bad person. They may have simply committed the amount of time to writing letters that they have to volunteer. (It is NOT a job requirement to write letters of recommendation; it’s a voluntary choice by each teacher or supervisor!)
5. Don’t harass teachers about whether they have sent the letter yet, unless they ask you to send a reminder. You may request that the teacher send you an email to confirm that the letter is sent. One way to “gently remind” a teacher is to say “I know you’re busy, I just wanted to follow up with my request for a letter of recommendation.” Only do this ONE time. If they ask for a reminder, then it’s open season. Remember, ONE TIME.
6. Always ask a teacher for a letter no later than three weeks before the deadline. Teachers volunteer their personal time to do this for you. You may ask if a teacher will make an exception to this rule, but be prepared for a “no”. Again, you want a good letter. It takes time to write a good letter of recommendation (see #4 below).
HOW TO ASK A TEACHER YOU RESPECT FOR A POSITIVE, ACADEMIC LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
1. Choose a faculty member who knows you well, preferably in a variety of contexts. Colleges and employers read hundreds of reference letters, most of which are filled with generic praise. Specific reference letters are more likely to get noticed and appreciated. The more a teacher/supervisor knows about you, the more specific the letter will be.
2. Make a formal request of your teacher (by email or by appointment), asking if he or she would be willing to write a letter and/or fill out a form on your behalf. Explain the purpose of the recommendation and why you have chosen the teacher. Give the teacher time to consider your request.
3. Ask early. Make an appointment to discuss the recommendation at least three weeks in advance of the deadline—preferably a month or more, especially if you need multiple letters. Teachers have very tight schedules and need ample time to write a thoughtful and distinctive letter.
4. Provide information about the position. The more teachers know about the position or school you seek to enter, the more easily they can tailor the letter toward a specific audience. Bring the following materials to your appointment:
5. Provide information about yourself. The more teachers know about your past work, your extracurricular interests, and your aspirations, the more specific they can be about your talents and motivation. Bring the following materials to be dropped off at your appointment:
You might consider bring these to give additional information:
6. Double-check that the letter has arrived by the deadline. If not, contact the teacher. (Letters are often lost in the mail or in the application shuffle).
7. Send the writer a thank-you note. Faculty can spend several hours constructing a single letter; it’s nice to be acknowledged. Please let us know whether you got in to the school/got the internship! We can be as happy and excited as you to hear great news. Lastly, if feel you’d like to give a gift (unnecessary, but appreciated), return the favor to your teacher and take time and make it personal gift. Don’t buy a Starbucks card if they don’t drink coffee. Think “outside the box”.
Swiftney: Letter of Recommendation Questionnaire
1. Read the philosophical statement about letters of rec detailed beneath these instructions, and follow the advice therein as you proceed with this process.
2. Politely ask if your teacher will write a POSITIVE letter of recommendation. Upon getting confirmation, proceed to step 3.
3. Electronically fill out the letter of recommendation questionnaire (bottom of this page) ONLY if I (Swiftney) agrees to write a letter of recommendation for you and you've completed steps one & two (above).
4. Send the completed file to [email protected]. (I would recommend sending your file as a .doc or .docx file labelled "lastname_Firstname_questionnaire").
Letters of Recommendation: A Philosophical Statement
The student who asks a teacher or supervisor for a recommendation letter must realize the following: teachers take the writing of letters of rec very seriously and they expect students to do the same. Recommendations reflect not just the quality of the student but also the integrity of the teacher and ultimately the school as well. Teachers are obligated to be objective and specific about a student’s fitness for a given position; if colleges and employers learn to distrust a SHS faculty member, it puts that teacher’s reputation as well as the entire school’s reputation in jeopardy and that damages the prospects of all SHS students seeking positions after graduation.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
1. Use the word PLEASE. Always. Never demand a teacher give you a letter of recommendation. Writing letters of recommendation are NOT part of a teacher's job description. It's written/worked on outside of the school day during a teacher's personal time. You need to respect that and ask nicely. NO EXCEPTIONS.
2. Never assume that the teacher will be willing to write a letter. Always ask first, even if the teacher has written a letter for you in the past. You should also ask for permission to list a teacher’s name as a reference on an application, even if no letter is required. It is rude for the teacher to get notification from a school BEFORE being asked.
3. Don’t just drop off forms and info on the teacher’s desk or send them as email attachments— ask for an appointment to meet with the teacher in person and hand off the forms & info. Forms left in a mailbox or on a desk can be lost. NOT THE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY UNLESS HANDED OFF.
4. If a teacher denies your request, it may sting a little; but don’t assume this means you’re a bad student or bad person. They may have simply committed the amount of time to writing letters that they have to volunteer. (It is NOT a job requirement to write letters of recommendation; it’s a voluntary choice by each teacher or supervisor!)
5. Don’t harass teachers about whether they have sent the letter yet, unless they ask you to send a reminder. You may request that the teacher send you an email to confirm that the letter is sent. One way to “gently remind” a teacher is to say “I know you’re busy, I just wanted to follow up with my request for a letter of recommendation.” Only do this ONE time. If they ask for a reminder, then it’s open season. Remember, ONE TIME.
6. Always ask a teacher for a letter no later than three weeks before the deadline. Teachers volunteer their personal time to do this for you. You may ask if a teacher will make an exception to this rule, but be prepared for a “no”. Again, you want a good letter. It takes time to write a good letter of recommendation (see #4 below).
HOW TO ASK A TEACHER YOU RESPECT FOR A POSITIVE, ACADEMIC LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
1. Choose a faculty member who knows you well, preferably in a variety of contexts. Colleges and employers read hundreds of reference letters, most of which are filled with generic praise. Specific reference letters are more likely to get noticed and appreciated. The more a teacher/supervisor knows about you, the more specific the letter will be.
2. Make a formal request of your teacher (by email or by appointment), asking if he or she would be willing to write a letter and/or fill out a form on your behalf. Explain the purpose of the recommendation and why you have chosen the teacher. Give the teacher time to consider your request.
3. Ask early. Make an appointment to discuss the recommendation at least three weeks in advance of the deadline—preferably a month or more, especially if you need multiple letters. Teachers have very tight schedules and need ample time to write a thoughtful and distinctive letter.
4. Provide information about the position. The more teachers know about the position or school you seek to enter, the more easily they can tailor the letter toward a specific audience. Bring the following materials to your appointment:
- A description of the college or internship(s) to which you are applying. This requires some research on your part, and it will help you assess how suited you are to the position. If you are applying to multiple places, bring all your reference requests at once.
- The application forms and materials, with the deadlines clearly indicated and the relevant portions filled in. If the application asks whether you waive (give up) your right to view the recommendation letter, we recommend that you agree to waive it, guaranteeing that the letter is candid and trustworthy. Letters for students who do not waive their right to view it are taken less seriously or ignored.
- A pre-addressed envelope with proper postage (if needed).
5. Provide information about yourself. The more teachers know about your past work, your extracurricular interests, and your aspirations, the more specific they can be about your talents and motivation. Bring the following materials to be dropped off at your appointment:
- An updated resume that highlights the experience and skills relevant to the position. Don’t limit your resume to academic pursuits—include extracurricular activities, job experience, and honors.
- A written description of your career interests and aspirations—why are you applying to this college?
- A list of other helpful details about your work and experiences that you teacher may not be aware of. We are not intimately knowledgeable about your life outside (or in) school.
You might consider bring these to give additional information:
- Significant graded papers or assignments that you completed for the teacher’s class.
- A transcript. This usually isn’t necessary, but some faculty may request it.
- A list of your other references. If the teacher knows who else is writing a letter on your behalf, he or she can calibrate the letter to play up certain strengths that the other references may be less familiar with. You may request which qualities you would like each letter-writer to stress.
6. Double-check that the letter has arrived by the deadline. If not, contact the teacher. (Letters are often lost in the mail or in the application shuffle).
7. Send the writer a thank-you note. Faculty can spend several hours constructing a single letter; it’s nice to be acknowledged. Please let us know whether you got in to the school/got the internship! We can be as happy and excited as you to hear great news. Lastly, if feel you’d like to give a gift (unnecessary, but appreciated), return the favor to your teacher and take time and make it personal gift. Don’t buy a Starbucks card if they don’t drink coffee. Think “outside the box”.
Swiftney: Letter of Recommendation Questionnaire
Equal Opportunity Notice
The Issaquah School District complies with all applicable federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities, or employment related matters, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees are designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, District Title IX Coordinator, Section 504/ADA Coordinator or Compliance Coordinator for 28A.540 and 28A.642 RCW, in writing or by telephone. The Issaquah School District will also take steps to assure that national origin persons who lack English language skills can participate in all educational programs, services and activities. For information regarding interpretation and translation services or transitional bilingual education programs, contact Kathy Connally in writing or by telephone.
For general information or to be directed to a specific department, please contact the ISD Receptionist at 425-837-7000.
Amanda Dorey, Title IX Coordinator | Melissa Evans, District HIB Coordinator | Lisa Hechtman, Civil Rights Compliance Officer | Pam Ridenour, Section 504 Coordinator
425-837-7000 | 5150 220th AVE SE, Issaquah, WA 98029
The Issaquah School District complies with all applicable federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities, or employment related matters, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees are designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, District Title IX Coordinator, Section 504/ADA Coordinator or Compliance Coordinator for 28A.540 and 28A.642 RCW, in writing or by telephone. The Issaquah School District will also take steps to assure that national origin persons who lack English language skills can participate in all educational programs, services and activities. For information regarding interpretation and translation services or transitional bilingual education programs, contact Kathy Connally in writing or by telephone.
For general information or to be directed to a specific department, please contact the ISD Receptionist at 425-837-7000.
Amanda Dorey, Title IX Coordinator | Melissa Evans, District HIB Coordinator | Lisa Hechtman, Civil Rights Compliance Officer | Pam Ridenour, Section 504 Coordinator
425-837-7000 | 5150 220th AVE SE, Issaquah, WA 98029