As students are preparing for college applications, they have been stressing over which teachers to pick for their teacher recommendations. From choosing a teacher who is in their intended field or simply choosing a teacher with whom they have worked well with, seniors have to consider many factors when they ask for recommendations

However, as things seem easy in the long run of recommendations, many people do not realize what all needs to happen from the moment the student presses enter on the email to the teacher and the recommendation getting to the college itself.

One history teacher, Julie Heintz, believes the best way to ask for a recommendation is to correctly prepare and inform the teacher early on to ensure they have time to make your recommendation stand out.

“Be aware of the teacher’s time,” Heintz said. “If your recommendation is due on Monday please do not ask on the Friday before. Or for example right now, if it is due Dec. 1 understand that the week before Thanksgiving is not enough time, your teachers want to take a break over Thanksgiving week too.”

English teacher, Thomas Richardson, believes that picking the right teacher for applications is one of the most important things a student can do.

“The question I want students to ask themselves is this: ‘Can Mr. Richardson write with specificity about my successes as a student and my potential to be a dynamic part of a college community?’” Richardson said. “Specificity is the key word there. If I’m writing generically, the student is going to look generic.”

After students first ask the teacher, both the students and the teachers are stressed. Due to the number of college applications that seniors have and the number of recommendations that many teachers have, Shae Koenigsberger thinks that this is one of the most stressful times of the year.

“As a teacher of senior students, College App season is stressful for students and teachers,” Koenigsberg said. “I’m pretty sure I wrote eight to 10 letters in two weeks during the first of November. But I did it to honor and support my ambitious hard-working students.”

Heintz thinks that one of the most important things about applications is to not let the teacher forget about these teacher recommendations.

“I tell my students for whom I am writing a recommendation to not be afraid to remind me of a due date,” Heintz said. “Most colleges will send a completion email to the student; if the due date is getting close and you have not heard please stop by and ask me or send me a friendly reminder email. No offense is taken. We are all busy people.”

As MSMS is known to be “an opportunity for excellence,” most teachers like to include what all makes an MSMS student different from the average student. Koenigsberg believes that the best part about MSMS is all of the community opportunities around campus and that is what is most important in a teacher recommendation.

“I always ask students about how they are involved in any math outreach opportunities,” Koenigsberger said. “If you want a glowing application, show the college that you take to dedicate service to others. Research also looks good, but having the time and a willing heart to serve others is always a plus.”

Richardson also suggests teachers know more than students think they do.

“As far as recommendations go, though, just know that teachers remember just about everything,” Richardson said. “That’s the student who asked that poignant question. That’s the student who stayed after class to talk about a reading. That’s the student who helped a classmate through a really tough time. We also remember the students who couldn’t seem to keep track of due dates or make it to the bus in time for the field trips.”