Most applications include specific forms for letter of recommendation writers. They often ask for both a written-out statement and a series of short questions. If you are asking your instructor for several versions of the letter — for instance, if you are applying to a number of schools — you might remind him or her that the statement need not be written directly on the sheet itself; it can simply be stapled to the form.

Always provide your writer with stamped envelopes. If you are asking for multiple letters, it's a good idea to organize all the forms in one folder and include a cover sheet with a list of the schools for which you are requesting letters. Remember to include envelopes of the appropriate size, and overestimate the amount of postage (the instructor might attach extra pages to the form). Some applications require the instructor to return the letter to you in a sealed envelope. Ask the writer to sign the flap of the envelope.

Finally, you might consider providing the letter writer with a USB flash drive for saving a copy of the letter. Letters, after all, have been lost in the mail (both the physical and digital versions) before — not to mention in admission offices — and there's always a chance you might have to ask for a second copy to be sent out.