How to Get the Best Teacher Recommendation Possible

In my last post, I explained why teacher recs are more important than most students realize.

Here’s the short version: You can’t fake enthusiasm for someone you don’t care about.

Have you ever seen Quentin Tarantino gush about a movie you’ve never heard of? Somehow, by the end, you need to see it. That’s the kind of letter you want. The kind that gets you into Columbia.

So, how do you get that?

Most students think a great grade equals a great rec.

What you need to do to win over teachers is not rocket science, and yet it does take quite a bit of dedication and effort.

If you want a letter that moves the needle, do these basic things:

1) Be Courteous. Be Attentive.

- Respond to emails. Fast.

- Don’t ghost your teachers.

- Put their emails on Priority. Treat them the way you want to be treated: seen, heard, and acknowledged.

2) Be Consistent with All Teachers.

- Teachers talk. 

- You can’t act like a saint toward one and ignore another.  

3) Involve Your Teachers in What You’re Building.

- Got a project? Ask for feedback.

- Entering a competition? Brainstorm with them and celebrate the results with them.

Teachers don’t just want to hear about your polished final draft. 

They want to see you wrestle with ideas, fail a little, adjust, get better. If they don’t see the process, they’ll simply assume you used ChatGPT or paid someone.

That’s how teachers gather the material for a rave, through their genuine experience with you. The letter feels real because it is real.

And a note to the introverts out there.

I get it. 

The things I’m telling you to do sound absolutely awful.

I mean, I’m essentially the Graham’s Number of Introverts: I↑↑I. But how badly do you want to go to a T20? If you want a backer, a believer, a raver—you have to overcome your inhibitions and reach out.

Bottom Line:

The best teacher recs don’t read like a polite summary. 

They read like a rave review of the movie you have to go see. 

Make your teachers your biggest fan. Not because you faked it, but because you showed up in the small ways, consistently, long before you ever asked for their help.

Your future self will thank you.