Letter of Recommendation for College With Samples

How important are the letters of recommendation? Very! The way you showcase a student’s academic performance in your class is crucial to the college application process.

But is it okay to refer to a student's racial or ethnic background, especially in light of the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action? What is the most effective language to use when describing a student's character and work ethic? This resource answers these questions. It includes guidelines and numerous examples from my own letters to show you how best to present your students to admissions officers.

INCLUDED:

• effective vs ineffective language
• advice on avoiding unconscious bias
• guidelines for and samples of effective introductions
• guidelines for and samples of effective body paragraphs (academic, extra-curricular, leadership, character examples)
• guidelines for and samples of effective conclusions
• sample complete letters
• student information form (5 pages)

All students are individuals. They have their own unique set of academic, extra-curricular and personal experiences to bring to the college of their choice. For this reason I do NOT encourage using templates in which the teacher simply adds a few details about the student and calls the letter "done." Admissions officers pick up on these things because of all the letters that come across their desks, day in, day out.

An effective letter requires an investment of time and thought and language. Your own writing style will help to differentiate your student from the other applicants, provided that you have enough material from which to draw. Your memory may need a prod, and that is why the student information form is key to your own productive use of time on behalf of your student.

Writing recommendation letters for even the highest of achievers can be daunting. Once their GPAs and standardised test scores qualify these students for their dream school, it is left to their personal statements and teacher recommendation letters to distinguish them from the thousands of others who are just like them.

While my methods will not guarantee an acceptance, I know that my letters contain the kind of information the college admissions officers want to see. They are specific and carefully written. College counsellors and college recruiters who have seen my letters of recommendation have told me so and held my letters up as exemplars for my colleagues.

One year I even received a letter from an admissions officer (Princeton) thanking me for the way I presented an individual student (who got only as far as the wait list), reassuring me that teacher letters of recommendation are read very carefully. I have never forgotten how important a recommendation letter can be.

You can do this. Your student chose YOU for a reason.

What other teachers are saying:

***** Great resource. It saved me a great deal of time. (Piccadilly Classroom)

***** Thank you! I have a written many letter of rec and used to be a college counselor at a prestigious college prep school, but I really needed to see some new samples. I was in a rut. (Alexis W.)

***** I needed to review examples of excellent recommendations. I got it! Thank you.

(Elma C.)

***** Extremely detailed and helpful! (Heidi C.)

***** Awesome, thanks! (Eclectic Collections)