If you would like personalized assistance, please contact the CDC for an individual appointment, or stop by during drop-in hours Monday through Friday between 2 P.M. and 4 P.M.
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Applying: Letters of Recommendation
While students must follow schools’ requirements in submitting letters of recommendation, there will be choices in the process. Students can maximize their chances of obtaining strong letters by considering the following suggestions:
- Don't be shy. Teachers and counselors are usually happy to help you, as long as you respect their time constraints.
- Include addressed and stamped envelopes for each school to which you're applying.
- Provide teachers and counselors with deadlines for each recommendation you are requesting, noting the earliest deadline.
- On the application form, waive your right to view recommendation letters. This gives more credibility to the recommendation in the eyes of the college.
- Typically, you know your teachers well enough to know who can provide favorable reviews of your accomplishments. If in doubt, don't hesitate to ask if they feel comfortable writing a recommendation. In some cases, you may have no choice as to who to use, but when you do, make the best choice possible.
- Follow up with your recommendation writers a week or so prior to your first deadline to ensure recommendations have been mailed or to see if they need additional information from you.
- Once you have decided which school to attend, write thank-you notes to everyone who provided a recommendation and tell them where you've decided to go to school. Be sure to do this before you leave Mac.
For more help, see Letters of Recommendation (PDF). Also, check out these sample recommendation forms (PDFs):
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