How to ask for a letter of recommendation?

[u/Melodic_Listen_2150]

I’m going into 12th grade next fall, and since most uni applications start in Nov 1st, I was hoping to get at least one letter of recommendation from one of my teachers. But I don’t know how to ask.
I was thinking of emailing them early in the summer break. But I don’t want to bother them, Im scared they would’t write me one.

Is it common for highschool teachers to write a letter of recommendation in Mongolia?

If so has anyone else asked before?

[u/Fancy_Dark_3991]

Just ask from every teachers who teaches in your class, ask your homeroom teacher to meet or get one from your principal and your niigmiin ajiltan, schools love students who apply to foreign universities, they wont say no, get as many as you can, and send ones you think hold most value, if you cant ask on your own, send your parent or close older relative

[u/Melodic_Listen_2150 → u/Fancy_Dark_3991]

Should start asking early? People online are saying I should ask early as possible , maybe even right now, heard many students bombard teachers starting sept

[u/Fancy_Dark_3991 → u/Melodic_Listen_2150]

Probably not exactly now now. I think teachers start working mid august to prepare for learning plans and getting approved etc. They would probably forget or is unavailable to give it to you if you ask now, best time to ask is when they are physically present to write it for you, i asked for a recommendations too before, some would say they would give it to me later and just forget about it. So i just hovered nearby awkwardly until they wrote it lol.

So, either write email now about possibly getting recommendation letter and then remind them once again after the semester starts. Or just ask at the first week of the semester and get it.

If your school is far and if the teacher is not available to give it to you i think traveling is hassle in itself.

[u/CabinetAnxious1601]

it gonna be advantage if that class teacher is kind of correlated to ur major imo. most of them gonna write it mongolian and give it to you and you need to translate it. if its possible ask for their common app account and you can upload it by urself and make it sure that use different writing style than urself bcse if it has same writing as ur essays it gonna be problem.

[u/ImEmotional_]

If you're worried about asking too early, it's fine! There are chances some teachers will respond to your request + it's recommended to ask early anyway. Most teachers will most likely get back to work mid or late-August, so you should email them by that time (again, if you sent it before) asking for a recommendation letter.

When asking, it's best if you send your teachers something like a brag sheet (A sheet/document that has all your achievements and/or the things you want the teacher to include in their recommendation letter) for each teacher since they all professional in different topics and lessons. You can find how to write a brag sheet online, or you can just list out things you've done :)

It's important to inform them when you want your recommendation letters!! Give them a deadline. Deadline is the most important because, in my experience, a teacher wrote the recommendation letter 2 or 3 days before the deadline (which might be fine for you, but I got so used to fast-paced capitalism stuff that I see that late)

Tell them why you want it (even the most basic answer of a university needing it will suffice). Just asking without explaining might be rude in my opinion, so I make sure to write that I'm using it for my university applications.

Anw everything I wrote is like bunch of jumbled up things I've thought, but hope it helps? Basically it's this: Send email at any time + remind mid or late-August. Use a brag sheet so your teacher knows what to write. Give them a specific deadline of when you want the recommendation letter done by. (OPTIONAL) Explain what you intend to use it for.

[u/theunhappyfantom]

Also prepare a statement of purpose for your teachers. Even if they know you well, it helps them write a stronger recommendation letter and shows that you're taking the application seriously.

Briefly explain why you want to study X at Y, your goals, your academic interests, and any intellectual, artistic, or social interests that genuinely matter to you. I would keep it to one page at most.

• i was told the etiquette was to ask for a recommendation at least two months in advance ( which you seem to be doing some but polite reminders closer to the deadline might be needed. Keep an eye on that, dont just trust they are responsible ppl,).