Tips for Writing Letters of Recommendation
Pass these tips on to your recommenders to save them time and improve your letters of recommendation.
10 Tips for Recommenders
1.
Review
a copy of the applicant's personal statement or application essays so that your
letter of recommendation can dovetail with — not conflict with or duplicate —
the rest of the application.
2.
Ask
the applicant to supply you with additional information like a resume or
activity list.
3.
Describe
your qualifications for comparing the applicant to other applicants.
I have been teaching high school drama for
fifteen years and have taught AP English for the last five years.
I have personally supervised ten research
interns every summer for the last five years plus I have coached the cross-country
and tennis teams at Elite High School for the last five years.
4.
Discuss
how well you know the applicant.
I had the pleasure of directing plays
in which John starred during each of his three years at ABC High School.
Over the last three years I coached Jane as
she worked her way up from JV to varsity tennis and state champion.
5.
Choose
two to three qualities that you observed in the applicant.
Jane has a rare blend of steely determination,
incredible self-discipline, and great teamwork skills.
The combination of tenacity, leadership
qualities, and good communications skills found in John is truly unique.
6.
In
discussing those qualities, support your statements with specific instances in
which he or she demonstrated those attributes. Be as concrete and detailed as
possible.
John's discipline and dedication were
extraordinary — not only did he never miss a practice; he came early to warm up
and always worked out for an additional hour after school.
Jane not only participated in every rehearsal;
she also made herself available to other actors and actresses for impromptu
rehearsals and practices, thus inspiring the rest of the cast to even greater
efforts and success.
7.
Try
to quantify the student's strengths or rank him or her vis-a-vis other
applicants that you have observed.
He was in the top 10% of his class.
She has the best analytical skills of any
high school senior I have ever taught.
8.
Avoid
generalities and platitudes.
9.
Include
some mild criticism, typically the flip-side of a strength.
The only fault I
have encountered in him is his retiring nature. His modesty sometimes hides a
young man of remarkable strength and broad interests.
Occasionally, her
fortitude and persistence can turn into stubbornness, but usually her good
nature and level-headedness prevail.
10.
Close
with a ringing recommendation and endorsement of the applicant's ability.
I enthusiastically
recommend Mr. Doe to your university. This well-rounded student will be a fine
asset to your student body.
With her exceptional
leadership, writing, and quantitative skills, Ms. Smith will be an outstanding
credit to the college she attends.
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free to explore the site further, or bookmark it and come back again.
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By Linda Abraham, Founder and President of Accepted.com
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