Letters of REcommendation

& RESUME TIPS

College applications for private universities & scholarship applications often require a LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION from a staff or community member.

UC & CSU applications do not!

WORDS for Letters of REc.pdf

Qualities Universities are looking for in Students.

Use this form to help your letter writer describe you.

Circle a couple adjectives in each column that reflect you and provide to your letter writer.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION MUSTS:

Letters of Rec must be on letterhead and must be signed.
Letters of Rec must be dated and must share how you know the student
Letters of Rec must be one page only.
DO NOT repeat GPA, rank or anything else the evaluator can glean from other application items- this must be sharing something different!
Ask the student what is different or for a "snapshot" in the classroom experience.
Help the evaluator to get to know the student. They want to understand what motivates the student; write like it's a written interview
Answer the question, what does the student bring to a community?
Be honest. It’s okay if you don’t know the student as well as you would have in non-COVID times – just explain that;
Be specific about how the student shows up in a classroom. Use specific examples - DO NOT make it generic and vague

Guidelines provide a good thorough description of Letters of Recommendation and what a student should do as their "homework" before they ask for a letter from a teacher, community member or counselor.

ALWAYS PROVIDE AMPLE LEAD TIME FOR ANY LETTER WRITER- and that does not mean "tomorrow!"

Letter of recommendation worksheet.pdf

Letter of recommendation Guidelines.pdf

Canva

Free Online Resume Builder

Hundreds of free templates and layouts

Professionally designed and formatted

Easy to create and customize

<------CLICK ON IMAGE

GUIDELINES for writing a letter of reference.pdf

LETTER WRITER - Here is a sample and good advice for writing a brief concise, detailed letters.

One page and bullet points are acceptable.

TEACHERS & LETTER WRITERS

PLEASE SIGN your signature after your salutation!

Google TEMPLATE GALLERY FOR RESUMES CLICK HERE for Google Template

From https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/your-high-school-record/how-to-get-a-great-letter-of-recommendation

How to Get the Best Recommendations

Some teachers write many recommendation letters each year. Even if they know you well, it’s a good idea to take some time to speak with them. Make it easy for them to give positive, detailed information about your achievements and your potential by refreshing their memory.

Here’s how:

Talk to them about your class participation.
Remind them of specific work or projects you’re proud of.
Tell them what you learned in class.
Mention any challenges you overcame.
Give them the information they need to provide specific examples of your work.
If you need a recommendation letter from a counselor or other school official, follow these guidelines:
Make an appointment ahead of time.
Talk about your accomplishments, hobbies and plans for college and the future.
If you need to discuss part of your transcript — low grades during your sophomore year, for example — do so. Explain why you had difficulty and discuss how you've changed and improved since then.

Whether approaching teachers, a counselor or another reference, you may want to provide them with a resume that briefly outlines your activities, both in and outside the classroom, and your goals.

Final Tips

The following advice is easy to follow and can really pay off:

Waive your right to view recommendation letters on your application forms. Admission officers will trust them more if you haven’t seen them.
Give your references addressed and stamped envelopes for each college that requested a recommendation.
Make sure your references know the deadlines for each college.
Follow up with your references a week or so before recommendations are due to make sure your letters have been sent.
Once you’ve decided which college to attend, write thank-you notes. Tell your references where you’re going and let them know how much you appreciate their support.

SLCUSD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Related California laws also provide added protection on the basis of actual or perceived ancestry, age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

Report abuse