Recommendation letters
Who you asked, when you asked, and what's still outstanding.
Slots
| Slot | Typical requirement |
|---|---|
| Counselor | Almost every college wants one. Yours is assigned, meet them anyway. |
| Teacher | Most want two, usually from junior-year core subjects. |
| Supplemental | Coach, employer, research mentor. Only if they add something new. |
The page warns when you have fewer than two teacher letters lined up, because that's the most common way students get caught out in October.
Status
Shortlist → Asked → Agreed → Submitted, or Declined. Moving to asked awards 35 XP once per recommender; submitted awards 60. The asked date is captured automatically the first time.
Sending the request
Each recommender with an email address gets two routes, both pre-composed:
- Send request in Gmail opens Gmail's compose window with the address, subject and message already filled in. Edit it before sending; it is a starting point, not a template to fire off unchanged.
- Send with my profile attached sends through Fledgy AI and attaches your profile PDF, so they get your activities and honors in one place.
What the draft contains
Generated from your real data: the recommender's name and role, your college list, and your earliest upcoming deadline. It explicitly gives them a way to say no, because a reluctant letter is worse than no letter. Everything is editable before sending.
What's attached
Your profile, activities, honors and college list. Essay drafts are never included - a recommender doesn't need them and shouldn't receive them by accident.
Sending
Sending requires a mail provider. Set RESEND_API_KEY and FLEDGY_MAIL_FROM and the message goes out with the PDF attached, with your address as reply-to.
With no provider configured, Fledgy AI does not fail. It marks the recommender as asked, hands you the PDF to download, and opens a pre-filled mailto: so you attach and send it yourself. Students shouldn't hit a dead end because a deployment lacks mail.
How to actually ask
- Ask in person if you can, then follow up in writing with the details.
- Give them a one-page brag sheet, the PDF export is exactly this.
- Give at least four weeks before the first deadline. Six is kinder.
- Waive your right to view the letter. Colleges weight waived letters more heavily.
- Send a thank-you note, and tell them where you got in.
Pick teachers who saw you struggle with something and keep going, not the ones who gave you the easiest A.