Letters of recommendation provide you with the opportunity to convey a student 39 s character and any personal qualities that test scores and grades alone don 39 t reveal. According to the national association for college admission counseling rsquo s 2011 state of college admission report, nearly two thirds of colleges and universities attribute considerable or moderate importance to counselor and teacher recommendations in determining which academically qualified students they would choose for admission. So, when all else is equal between two applicants, a recommendation from you can pull a lot of weight. And for students with mediocre or low scores on college admission tests, your honest assessment of their potential success in college can tip the scales in their favor. According to terry cowdrey, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at st. Lawrence university in new york, those who can be most helped by a compelling recommendation include: merit scholarship candidates at any college borderline admissible candidates at any college competitive candidates at the most selective colleges the more history your school has with a college, the more important your recommendation letters become.

In sorting through candidates from your school, colleges rely on your candor to help the admission staff make accurate and fair assessments of applicants. if you work in a large school or are new to your school, you may have to write letters for students you don 39 t know very well. A clearly written and informative assessment brings the student to life for the admission staff members who read it. Start with an image for the reader that the body of your recommendation develops.

Provide an overview of the student including academic, extracurricular and volunteer activities. Show not only that a student has succeeded in high school, but also how that student has stood out in some way. For example, if a student has experienced a tragedy that may have affected grades during a semester, you may reveal that in the recommendation with permission from the student 39 s family and abiding by the family educational rights and privacy act, or ferpa.

For more guidelines on writing an effective letter, print out recommendation dos and don 39 ts. Article type: tasty bits okay, time to man up and turn that letter of recommendation you desperately need from a twinkle in your eye to an actual word document. Since every other junior in your high school is after the same thing you are, be that one guy or gal who makes the letter of rec process so easy for your wonderful, fabulous, underpaid teacher, that mr. Start by going to your teacher in person to ask them for a letter of recommendation. Your future hangs in the balance here, so don't leave this to a facebook message.

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Follow up on that in person request with an e mail specifying exactly what you need for your recommendation. A written request will get you a stellar letter written in a timely manner so you can worry about more important things, like how to talk your parents into letting you take a car to college. If you don't provide a written request, then you're signing yourself up for a one way ticket to flipping burgers for the rest of your life. Looking for a letter of recommendation request template that'll wow your teacher? well, here you go. Request for letter of recommendation for _ dear _, i am applying to_ college/university, and would very much appreciate a recommendation letter from you. Attached, you will find my brag sheet which lists my strengths and accomplishments to use in your letter.

While i would be happy for you to include any of the attached information, i would most appreciate you focusing on the following characteristics and achievements: _ please address the letter to the following: school:_ attn:_ street address:_ city, state and zip code:_ please do the following when the letter is complete email, print and mail, etc.: _ thank you very much for your time and for your valuable recommendation. Sincerely, your name remember, it's one e mail per letter of recommendation you want written. Jam three or four rec requests into one e mail and something will go horribly, terribly wrong. Most institutions of higher education are aware that we live in the 21 st century and have adjusted their application processes accordingly, which means your teacher will likely be submitting your letter of recommendation online.

Hooray for fast and easy! however, should the admissions office of your college s of choice still require letters to be submitted via pony express, then make sure you prep a stamped, addressed manila envelope for your teacher. And have fun when you get to dark ages u! try the chastity belts, we hear they're all the rage this year. Now that you've placed your future in your teacher's hands, here are the top five things you absolutely should not do under any circumstances:

pick your nose, because that's disgusting. seriously, give your teacher the time they need to write that epic letter of recommendation. Most teachers have been through this rodeo before, and will get your rec in with time to spare. That being said, this is yourcollege application we're talking about, and knowing the letter submission deadlines is on you. If your recommendation needs to be at big state u by next week and your teacher hasn't mentioned whether or not your rec has been submitted, then, for the love of pete, ask what's up.

Once your teacher's letter of recommendation has reached its destination and you're one step closer to going to college and one step farther from a career of mopping up pee in the men's bathroom, it's time to say thank you. Besides, that letter is already in a manila folder somewhere: it's too late for bribery by snickerdoodles. Your teacher just did you a solid and rescued you from the eternal ear piecing song of the chicken nugget fryer. The letter of recommendation is often a vital part of a student's college application file. Here is a sample format, along with some helpful suggestions and a complete sample letter, to assist recommendation writers with the process of putting together an impressive statement endorsing a student's application. Start off with a simple to whom it may concern bonus points for knowing the name of an admissions counselor, as it suggests the student has done research into the school's admissions office, but it's not necessary.

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dear admissions officer or the standard dear sir or madam are also acceptable. Admissions officers should not have to fish for the name of the student it should be front and center. i am writing this letter on behalf of name of student is sufficient. letter of recommendation for name of student as a header centered, before or even in place of the salutation is also a clear way to make that statement.

Next, mention in what capacity and for how long you've known the student, for example: i have known student x for two years, when he was a student in my u.s. During that time, i found him to be here, insert a few adjectives that best describe the student. Admissions counselors do not want to hear about gpas, achievements, and extracurricular activities in a letter, as that is information they can get from a transcript or application. They want to learn about students' personal qualities, be it leadership ability, generosity, dedication, or ambition, to name a few common and effective adjectives.

Here is a short and sweet sample using the above suggestions: dear name of counselor, if known: i am writing this letter on behalf of jane doe, who has been a student in my history classes for the past two years. During that time, i have found her to be both a strong student academically and a role model and leader for her peers. Jane is the type of student who always takes the initiative to help out fellow students who may not quite grasp the material, and she does so in a way that is neither condescending nor boisterous.

Though she is aware of her own intelligence, as evidenced by her willingness to challenge herself with honors courses and extra credit work, she has an air of modesty about her that makes her approachable and well liked among her classmates. In addition to being jane's teacher, i also had the opportunity to serve as an advisor for the school community service organization she founded. Jane single handedly organized group meetings to encourage student participation, and contacted local organizations to coordinate volunteer opportunities. Though i was her go to person for advice, i trusted her completely in managing the group on her own. Jane would make an excellent addition to name of university 's class of 2013. Sincerely, signature take the above information into account, and the whole process of thoughtful recommendation writing can be much easier.