Letters of Recommendation: What are they?

Letters of recommendation are recommendations for your child, written by individuals who have been part of their high school career. Colleges generally ask for 1-3 letters to be submitted and often request that one or more are from an academic teacher. These cannot be written by a parent (you’ll get your chance to share your praise in the counselor letter!) and are not gathered or viewed by the parent or student. The letters are submitted directly to the college by the recommender either through the Common App or the college's application process.

How Do I Find a Recommender?

While letters cannot be submitted until your child has open college applications (usually their senior year), you should be on the lookout for, and strategizing about recommendation possibilities throughout your child’s high school years. Keep the need for recommenders in mind as you are planning classes and activities and look for opportunities for your child to make connections.

Possible sources of recommendations are co-op or outside provider teachers, dual enrollment instructors, coaches, mentors, volunteer coordinators, and employers.  Students in public and private schools have these relationships built into their high school years but homeschoolers will need to find and create opportunities for these relationships to occur.

Keep in mind! Letters of recommendation are one reason to take outside courses. However, it’s not enough to just take the course. Your student also needs to establish a relationship with the instructor. They should be actively participating in the class and also communicating directly with the instructor: asking questions, requesting feedback, etc. This will give the instructor insight into your child and help them feel confident about agreeing to write a recommendation.

Additional Resources

• Homeschooling for College Credit: Help! We Need a Letter of Recommendation from a Teacher
• The HomeScholar: How to Get a Great Letter of Recommendation