Recommendations

I do numerous college recommendations each year, therefore I ask you to consider the following before you ask me to write a recommendation for you.

  • Colleges frequently ask about students’ interpersonal behavior, leadership qualities, class contributions….I will tell the truth about what I have seen from you. Is your behavior in my class what you want colleges to know about?

  • What would you have to say about yourself if you were me?

  • I will not agree to write a recommendation for a student if that recommendation would be negative…(so if I tell you I won’t write one for you, don’t push because you wouldn’t like what it would say)

  • I do not agree to write more recommendations than I can reasonably handle. If I have already agreed to as many as I can do, I will turn you down and no amount of begging will change my mind. If you want me to write you a recommendation, ask me early.

Deadlines: In order to deliver a well-written recommendation, you will need to give me the needed materials at least TWO (2) WEEKS PRIOR to the submission deadline. When calculating “TWO WEEKS PRIOR”, do not include school vacation time, e.g., if there is a Jan. 1, deadline, you would need to get it to me 2 weeks prior to the beginning of winter break.

If I have agreed to write you a recommendation, you will need to give me the following via email (from your Holmdel school account) with the subject line "College Recommendation Materials" (Do not send me any materials if I have not already agreed to write a letter for you) :

  1. One single master list of all schools to which you are applying with the due dates and manner of submitting the recommendation (e.g., through General App Naviance or school will send link to me for filling in their custom application.

  2. General brief statement:

    • Reminding me which course(s) you took with me (e.g., World Civ, US History 2) & what grade you earned – (I do check so don’t try to lie—I simply will then not write your recommendation)

    • Indicating work that you completed in my course of which you are especially proud & why you are proud of it…. (e.g., modern day muckraker project because you chose to do a creative, original political cartoon about the obesity problem in America which you illustrated with a fast-food eating, overweight Statue of Liberty)

    • The more specific you are here the better my recall will be, which will enable me to write a more vivid and concrete recommendation, thus increasing your chances at acceptance!

  3. General resume, indicating your extracurricular activities, sports, etc

If you are doing traditional paper application: For each college, the items below should be attached with a paperclip (e.g., all of your materials to Harvard are fastened with a paperclip and those for Rutgers fastened with their own paperclip).

  • Form which I need to complete, with headings, etc. filled out by you. For my name, position, and contact info, please write:

Sherryl McBride, Social Science Teacher

Holmdel High School

36 Crawfords Corner Rd.

Holmdel, NJ 07733

732-946-1832

smcbride@holmdelschools.org


  • Addressed Stamped Envelope, see above for return address.

  • Post-It Note on each college’s form indicating the submission deadline

  • For traditional paper application: If multiple schools need a common application, please attach a note which lists them all and submit just one version of the form and clip all of the envelopes to the form.