How to Ask a Teacher for a College Recommendation Letter

Short answer: Strategically.

Longer answer: You don’t want a recommendation letter. What you want is a glowing recommendation letter. How do you get that? You ask. Literally.

Say this and then stop talking: “Do you feel that you know me and my work well enough to write a glowing letter of recommendation?”

This gives the teacher an easy out if they either don’t know you and your work well enough or they do but don’t feel they can write a glowing letter. If, on the other hand, they say yes, then you have an ally writing for you.

Fun fact: Ask for what you want.