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Letters of recommendation

Most colleges ask for letters of recommendation to be written by your college counselor and by your teachers. When college admissions officers read recommendations, they look for information that convinces them that you can be successful in their school and an asset to their student body. They prefer to read recommendations that describe your attributes with concrete examples and anecdotes. They are impressed with letters from staff members who demonstrate a real sense of who you are and what you can bring to the college setting. Scholarship committees want to be convinced that you are a good investment with qualities that ensure successful completion of college. Thus, your recommendations are a very crucial part of your college and financial aid application process. You must handle them effectively.

The following guidelines can help you with this step:

1. You may be tempted to add extra recommendations to support your application. It is usually best to send the number of recommendations requested and no more, although in some instances you might wish to send one extra if it provides a perspective about you which is different from the others. If a college requires three, the typical number, then they believe this number gives them the information they need to help make an admissions decision.
2. One of the first items you may notice on the recommendation forms (or on your application in the section regarding recommendations) is the question of whether you waive your right to read the letter of recommendation. Universities in the United States generally believe that the teachers will be more honest in their appraisal of you, and the recommendations will be more credible, if you waive your right to read your recommendations. Consequently, the readers have more trust in what is said. Furthermore, the college becomes suspicious when students are unwilling to allow a recommendation to be sent without seeing it prior to mailing. For these reasons, recommendations are confidential and it is highly recommended that you waive your right to read your recommendations. Once the letter of recommendation has been written, it is considered to be an official school document, and must be sent to the university directly from the Secondary Office.
3. The college counselor writes the school's recommendation for you. The Secondary School Report form is usually used for this purpose by independent colleges and universities. It requests your grades, and a recommendation evaluating your potential for success in college and your personal qualities.

Please give teachers 2-3 weeks advance notice when asking them to write recommendations. Since some teachers leave at the end of the academic year, it is advisable to ask teachers for recommendations by May of your junior year. A good way to ask the teacher is, “Will you write me a fantastic letter of recommendation?” It gives the teachers an “out” and usually they will tell you that they cannot write you one if they feel it would not be fantastic.

Letter of recommendation worksheets.

1. What colleges are you applying to?
2. What do you intend to study in college?
3. What has inspired you to pursue this area?
4. What do you see as your strengths in general?
5. What do you see as your weaknesses? A positive explanation.
6. What have been your most significant extracurricular activities?
7. What are your long term plans? Careers, family, hobbies, life....
8. In relationship to this particular course, to what do you attribute your success?
9. What do you see as your major contribution to this particular class?
10. Describe a particular project, assignment, test, presentation or discussion that you feel demonstrates your potential in this course. Why are you proud of it?

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