Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation

Some schools, particularly selective schools may require students to secure Letters of Recommendation. Students must provide teachers with ample time and support materials (a cover letter, transcript and resume) needed to write effective letters.

Teachers have the right to refuse a request (as an inauthentic letter can actually hurt a student's application).

In order to secure the most advantageous letters possible, please review the documents below.

What Do I Want the Letter to Communicate?

Discern what values you want to convey to the school(s) that you are applying to i.e.,

Virtue * Character * Personality * Intellectual Curiosity *Community Contributions

Who Should Write My Letter?

1. College Counselor (provides evidence of your impact and involvement in the community)

2. TWO Academic Core Teachers (Math and History or Science and English teachers) who can provide evidence of your contributions within the classroom.

Criteria to consider:

• Work Ethic: E.g. practiced extra math problems, consistently completed assignments and attended tutoring opportunities

• Achievement: E.g. 99-100%

• Virtue: E.g. perseverance, came for help in and outside of classroom during seminar

• Growth/Improvement: E.g. understood math concepts better by asking/answering questions; participated in class -grade went from a 'B' to an 'A')

• Uniqueness: E.g. humble and grateful

• Classroom Contributions: E.g. Peer tutored/ helped others with Math i.e. Lily, Mia, and Lexi.

E.g. participation or time a teacher remarked about your classroom contribution being extraordinary. This can include an assignment, paper etc. (Anecdotal stories are very helpful here.)

When Should I Ask a Teacher or Counselor to Write My Letter?

Spring of Junior Year

At least one month before the due date

Recommended Reading