For the majority of selective schools, US Uni apps require multiple teacher recommendations. This is a significant departure from UCAS, which requires one centralized recommendation with faculty and administrator feedback. Understanding the role these recommendations play and who you should ask is key to a successful application to a top US uni.

Most US schools, though not all, require at least three recommendations: a counsellor recommendation and two teacher recommendations.

Counsellor Recommendation: In the US, there is a specific school position for this role. However, in the UK, depending on the type of secondary school you attend, students ask their Housemasters, Head of Sixth Form, Form Tutor, or Principal to write their counsellor recommendation. The counsellor letter should provide a broad impression of the student’s performance and their ability to succeed academically and socially at a US university. This is an important letter! Students who are interested in applying to US universities should tell their school as soon as possible so it is clear that someone will need to coordinate this important part of the US university application.

Teacher Recommendations: Most selective US schools ask for two teacher recommendations. These recommendations must be from academic subject teachers. Also preferably, they should be from your A-Level or IB Diploma teachers. These letters must be uploaded separately from the counsellor letter, one of the chief distinctions between US and UCAS recommendation letters.

When choosing your recommenders, consider the following:

1. You should choose two teachers from two different disciplines. Because most US school have a “liberal arts” approach to education, they want to know how students perform in both STEM and Humanities disciplines.

2. It’s important that these teachers know you well and can speak to your personal, as well as academic, qualities. US admissions committees use these letters as evidence of your academic talents but also to evaluate how you may interact with others in classrooms at their school.

3. It’s important to choose teachers from your sixth form years! A teacher from the first two years of secondary school will not be able to comment on the kind of student who is coming to university the following autumn.

Also, if you are a lower sixth student, please ask your teachers during the summer term if they will write your letters from the following autumn application season. These letters provide important context and require care and time! Teachers are more likely to provide a truly helpful recommendation when they are not rushed! Give them plenty of time to craft this letter.

If you are a student contemplating applying to US university, consider scheduling a strategic consultation to learn more about the US university application process. Also, if you are a school with more and more students applying to the US and you would like support as you prepare the school documents, Vela Education is happy to offer workshops designed for schools! Please reach out to us. We are here to help.