In college applications, you explain to the colleges why you should be a part of their entering class of students. Colleges request recommendation letters so that your teachers, advisors, and other adults will do the same.
Most students feel that getting letters of recommendation is easy.
This is not a fruitful method of getting good recommendations. While you may think that you have no control over what your recommendation letters will say, you actually have tremendous control in that you get to choose who writes them. Use this power wisely by selecting recommenders who can tell a great story about you. You want recommenders who can write about the specifics of your life, providing personal anecdotes and examples if possible. Only people who know you well can refer to specific incidents and even provide humorous stories that not only lend a genuineness to their evaluations but also make them memorable.