When you apply to college, a strong letter of recommendation from a teacher gets a little stronger if you took the course during your junior year. 11th grade is your most recent full year of academic evidence. Colleges believe that if you were a curious, engaged student in 11th grade, there’s a good chance you’ll still be that kind of student once you become a college freshman.
So juniors, here’s your letter of rec assignment—give your teachers something to write about.
Colleges will see your transcript, so they’ll know about the grade you got in the class. For a teacher to write a strong letter of recommendation, they’ll need examples of you contributing to class discussions, demonstrating a sincere interest in learning (not just in getting the “A”), doing outside reading, wowing the class with your oral report, or some other tale that can’t be told from a transcript.
Whether you’re an A student or a C student, whether you love math or music, make the extra effort this semester not just to get a good grade, but also to make an impact in the classroom that your teacher will remember. And if you haven’t been the kind of student you’d like to be, use the remainder of this year to turn it around and show your teachers something worth writing about.