Letters of Recommendation

At Seven Hills we use every available opportunity to teach our students valuable life skills. Letters of recommendation provide us one such opportunity. When a student is seeking a reference we ask that they do the following:

• We ask that the student takes responsibility for the process and approaches it with energy and positivity. 

We want to see that the student is excited about the opportunity they are seeking. They should be able to express why they want to go to the school they are applying to or why they want to take the advanced placement opportunities the letter is for.

• We ask that teachers are given a realistic timeline. 

Some of our teachers are asked to write upwards of 15-20 letters each year and they want to be planful.

• We ask the student to complete a "brag sheet" about themselves. 

This activity provides the teacher with valuable information to include in an effective letter. More importantly, it forces our students to practice this skill that they will need for college admittance, future job interviews, and eventual promotions. 

• We ask the student to speak directly to the teacher. 

As an 8th grader, this is great practice. We are slowly moving from having our parents handle these situations to taking ownership of the process and outcome. We believe that these interactions become easier, the more practice we get. This also allows teachers to ask specific questions about the process.  Students ask for these letters for two main reasons: school admittance and honor's level courses. Each school and program asks for different items from the teacher, so this conversation is very helpful. Finally, this is a great place to show gratitude towards the person writing the letter.

We appreciate you taking the time to read through our guidelines. It has been our experience that this process produces the best information for schools. We understand that this process can be stressful for your families and that timelines are often difficult. We also know that this is a stressful process for our teachers who take time from their busy lives to make this valuable contribution to your family's goals.