If you would like me to write a recommendation letter for you, please consider the following things before you ask me.

• In the United States, students usually ask teachers to write recommendation letters for them when they want to get accepted to a specific college or university. Sometimes students ask for a recommendation letter to include in a scholarship application.
• Ask teachers who can write positive recommendation letters. Choose a class in which you performed well -- in which you participated actively, worked hard, made a big effort, received high grades, did more than you were asked to do, etc. Teachers write honest assessments of their students, so be careful which teacher you ask.
• A recommendation letter from an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher does not carry as much weight as a letter from a professor in your discipline, especially if you want to get into graduate school. A recommendation letter from me may be meaningless or even hurt your chances of getting accepted.
• Be prepared to tell me if there is anything you want included in the letter. Why do you want to attend that college? What do you want to study? What are your strengths? How will your being a student at that university help the university?
• Give me a copy of your resume and statement of purpose so I can refer to important points in my letter. Note that I will not edit your statement of purpose.
• Is the level of work that you did in my class commensurate with the level of work that you hope to be doing?
• Recommendation letters are most effective when they are addressed to a specific person. Be prepared to give the name and title of the admissions officer and the complete address to your teacher. If the college or university has a specific recommendation form, give that to your teacher, too.
• Finally, give your teacher 2 weeks to write the letter. The deadline to ask for a letter is Friday of Week 8 (Week 7 in Summer Quarter). After that, I will not have time to write a recommendation letter for you.