When planning for the college application process, we often focus on the parts of the application you create: your essays, your extracurricular activities, your award-winning projects, etc. The reality, though, is that your complete college applications will also include the writing, insights, and feedback of many other people: your teachers, your high school counselor, your college interviewer, and perhaps even the regional admissions officer at your target school. It’s crucial that you build strong relationships with these potential admissions advocates, who can be a great source of help to you during the admissions process.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS THAT CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION
How can you foster those relationships? We’ve got you covered!
YOUR TEACHERS: In the spring of junior year, you will ask two teachers to write your letters of recommendation. We recommend choosing teachers in whose classes you have earned strong grades and who can speak highly of your classroom engagement. This means you’ll want to spend junior year being an excellent student — going above and beyond on your assignments, contributing productively and regularly to class discussions, collaborating with other students, and (when necessary) seeking and implementing feedback from your teacher. Some teachers will also ask you to fill out a “brag sheet” that allows you to provide details on your work in their class and highlight specific moments that showcase your strengths.
How should you ask for these letters of recommendation? We recommend checking first to see if your school has an established process for seeking recommendations. Some schools set aside particular days for students to ask teachers for letters, while others require students to make requests through their counselors. If your school has no established process, we suggest reaching out directly to your teacher — either by email or during a quiet moment before or after class — to ask them to write a recommendation for you. When making this request, make sure to explain why they are the perfect person to vouch for you (e.g., “I’m really proud of the work I have done in your class” or “I’m hoping to major in English, so having you write about my work as an English student would be really meaningful”) and offer to provide any materials that might be helpful to them (e.g., copies of papers or projects you produced in their class, your resume, etc.).
TTA Top Tip: Especially if you go to a big school, make sure to request recommendations early! Popular teachers are often unable to write letters for all of the students who request them, and many work on a first-come-first-served basis. Don’t delay and miss out on a great letter!
YOUR COUNSELOR: As we’ve noted before, your college application won’t just include letters from your teachers: it will also include a letter from your high school counselor. In contrast to your teachers, who will speak to your work as a student in their classroom, your counselor will highlight your role in the school community. They will also prepare a report that contextualizes your position in your class as a whole and rates you in the categories of academics, extracurriculars, and personal character.
As you might imagine, it is essential that you get to know your counselor so that they are eager to support you in the college admissions process. You also want to make sure they know about your plans and your contributions to the school community so that their letter will align with the way you present yourself to colleges. If you can, make sure to meet with your counselor early and often — you might start by seeking their feedback on colleges you should explore and then stop by again after you have done virtual or in-person tours of those schools to discuss your thoughts. You can also share your resume with them and, if they encourage it, set up times to review your college essays together.
Mock Interview & Analysis
Gain practical experience and valuable insights to excel in interviews.
YOUR ADMISSIONS INTERVIEWER: Many colleges (although not all) will offer applicants the opportunity to participate in an interview as part of the admissions process. These days, interviews can take many forms (informational or evaluative, in-person or virtual), but they generally require you to sit down one-on-one with an admissions officer or an alum of your target college.
In our previous interview guidance, we stressed the importance of researching your target college in advance of your interview, dressing in business casual attire, coming up with a clear elevator pitch to describe yourself, and asking insightful questions. A few other things you can do to build a good relationship with your interviewer:
- Look up your interviewer in advance: Is your interviewer a recent graduate who can bond with you about their memories of the college admissions process? An established professional doing work in your dream field? Looking up your interviewer in advance can give you a sense of how the conversation might go. Just don’t tell them that you Googled them beforehand!
- Ask them questions about themselves: Alumni interviewers, in particular, generally volunteer to interview prospective students because they loved their college experience. Ask them about it!
- Find points of commonality: Do you both love a particular author? Did you recently travel to a similar place? Many colleges will try to pair you with an alumni interviewer who has a background related to your stated major — take advantage of that to discuss your common interests!
The goal: your interviewer should leave your interview confident that you are the perfect student for their college and eager to help you get admitted there.
YOUR REGIONAL ADMISSIONS OFFICER: During the fall, before the admissions process begins in earnest, many admissions officers will travel to venues in their region to speak with students. They might participate in college fairs, regional admissions events, or even lead info sessions at individual high schools. Take advantage of these opportunities to show demonstrated interest and get facetime with the admissions officer who will likely be reviewing your application! If you are unable to attend a local event, we recommend emailing the admissions rep to introduce yourself and ask a question about their institution. In the past, we’ve seen such conversations transform into extensive email correspondences or even meetings for coffee.
It’s worth noting, however, that admissions officers from large, elite colleges generally have less time and incentive to build relationships with potential applicants than those from smaller or less selective schools. This isn’t to say you should ignore those admissions officers — just don’t be discouraged if your admissions rep has limited time to chat with you.
College Private Counseling
Develop an organized and effective application strategy that leverages your academic and extracurricular experience to stand out.
SAYING THANKS
It’s not enough to ask for help from these advocates — you also want to thank them for providing it! The best way to show your gratitude is through a thank you note, either handwritten or sent by email. When writing your thank you note, make sure to be specific about what the person did for you, how it helped you, and why you are grateful to them.
For example, after logging off from a virtual interview with an alum at your target college, you might write a message that goes something like:
Dear Ms. Smith,
Thank you so much for making time to meet with me today! It was such a pleasure to speak with you and to hear about your experiences at X University. I was so excited to learn from you about the university’s Creative Writing Fellow readings and poetry tutorials. As an aspiring poet, I could see myself embracing both opportunities, taking inspiration from the works of brilliant writers and then working with them directly to create my own poetry collection. I was also thrilled to hear about your own bonds with your English classmates — that reflects exactly the kind of close-knit community I am hoping to find at college.
Thank you again for all of your insights and guidance. They have made me more excited than ever about the prospect of spending my next four years at X University!
Sincerely,
Student Name
P.S. I’ll also be sure to check out Murakami’s newest novel — I’m thrilled to hear that it’s as engaging as Kafka on the Shore!
As you can see, this letter makes clear the specific things the student appreciated about their interview (the chance to learn more about creative writing programs at X University) and then references particular moments in the conversation that were meaningful to them. It also reminds the interviewer of instances where they bonded with the student over their shared love of writing and their enjoyment of Murakami’s novels. The letter is not long, but it is precise and complimentary — two key factors in every good thank you note!
The result of all of these efforts: strong relationships with people who are eager to support you in the college admissions process, paving the way to your dream school and providing valuable guidance to help you make the most of your amazing college opportunities!
Ready to cultivate your admissions advocates? Reach out to us today to learn more about how Top Tier Admissions can help guide you through this important journey.
If you enjoyed this post, follow us on Instagram @toptieradmissions for more tips and subscribe to our blog for expert insights & college admissions news!
- How to Support Your Student Through College Admissions—Without Overstepping - January 27, 2026
- Boarding School Pros and Cons: What Students Should Consider Before Applying - December 30, 2025
- How Winning Writing Contests Can Boost Your College Application - August 5, 2025
