Make a reminder sheet with the facts about you and what you need. Type up a list of your achievements, activities, goals, and any other things your recommenders might want to mention in their letter. Keep it brief. At the bottom, list all the information they need to submit the recommendation: where you are applying, the deadline, where to send the letter. Also give your contact information including phone number and email address. Give it to them in person and ask if there is anything else he or she needs from you. This strategy works especially well when combined with the one above.

Suggest a quick meeting or phone call. This would give you a chance to make sure your recommender has everything he or she needs. And, its an easy opportunity for him or her to ask questions if not.

Make sure you've asked the right person for the job. It can be a hard fact to face, but there's a chance that your to-be recommender isn't sure what to say. Perhaps they knew you better a year or two ago, or perhaps that, despite your hard-earned A in their class, they still remember that you always came in late or goofed off with friends when you should have been setting up your chemistry lab. In another scenario, your recommender may have a lot going on outside of school (adding a room onto the house, a parent in the hospital, etc.). These have nothing to do with you as a person, but could have everything to do with why your letter has yet to be sent! If you sense this might be the case, simply ask this person if he or she would feel more comfortable if you asked someone else. Trouble is, is there someone else you can ask at this late date that will still provide a solid recommendation? You may have to get creative and think outside the box a bit. But if you can find someone, let your recommender know that if you've asked at a bad time for them, you've found someone else who can step in—just in case.

It's a tough balance; you don't want to seem pushy, but you need them to get the job done. Colleges won't accept incomplete applications—and a missing recommendation can be as deadly as turning in an application without your own last name written on it. If the deadline is fast approaching, do yourself-and your recommender—a favor and give a polite little nudge. Or two.