September is both the start of the school year and the beginning of the application process. We start our students early, asking them to draft their essays and prepare resumes by the end of their junior years. The guidance counselor also tells them to start asking for college recommendations; the earlier the better, he says.
So students have been asking me since June.
It鈥檚 both an honor and a responsibility when a student asks me to write a recommendation for them. When I have a great relationship with the student it鈥檚 a no-brainer.
鈥淥f course,鈥� I say. 鈥淲hen do you need it by? Is there a particular program you鈥檙e applying to that I should tailor the recommendation for?鈥�
Sometimes I ask students to write me an email, officially asking and telling me why I鈥檓 the teaching they feel is the best person to write their recommendations. It gives me a sense of what they think our relationship is and why they feel I can do a good job.
If I don鈥檛 know the student well enough in my opinion, but have negative things to say, I鈥檒l also ask for a resume, so I have some specifics to add that will make it more substantial.
Relationships aside, I have a reputation for writing good recommendations because I鈥檝e been teaching seniors for a long time and since I work at a small school, most of my seniors have been in my class before their senior year, some many years.
Writing recommendations isn鈥檛 always easy though. You have to be honest and convey the student鈥檚 best attributes without making it read like a template.
Here are some tips for writing great recommendations:
- Think before you respond to a student who asks. If you don鈥檛 immediately have something great to convey, it may not be a good idea to write the recommendation. Remember, it鈥檚 okay to say no because you have to be comfortable saying whatever you鈥檙e going to write and if what you鈥檇 write isn鈥檛 going to help them, then it鈥檚 best to decline. You could just say, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 the best person to write one for you.鈥� Maybe even suggest someone else.
- Once you decide that you will write one, always start your letter with a salutation like 鈥淒ear Admissions Officer.鈥�
- In the first short paragraph, introduce the student you are writing on behalf of using his/her full name and why you recommend them. For candidates that I feel are strong, I use additional adjectives like, 鈥淚 strongly recommend _____ for your program because of her diligence and creativity.鈥�
- Make sure to have a thesaurus handy or a list of positive adjectives and adverbs that you can readily pull from. Many times there will be an accompanying sheet or form with online where you need to describe the student in 3 words, so it鈥檚 good to have a bunch always on the tip of your tongue.
- After introductions, it鈥檚 good to share in what context you know the student and share a specific anecdote that shows the students talents. Showing rather than just telling is always more effective in writing. So whatever words you used to describe the student in the first paragraph, have a story that illustrates them next.
- If I have a special relationship with the student and I know personal things that they have had to endure, I make sure to add those as well. This piece is I think shares another dynamic element that perhaps a college essay or transcript doesn鈥檛 add.
- Remember we are just one piece of their college application puzzle, so we鈥檙e trying to add depth to what they have already shared.
- If the student is applying for a particular program like journalism or nursing, try to play up the skills and talents they have that would suit that program. For example, if I have a newspaper student applying to a journalism program, I make sure to talk about his/her leadership skills in the newspaper class and specific talents they have that would make them an asset for this school to acquire.
- It鈥檚 a good idea to have information about the student both in a class you may have taught him/her in and also in some kind of extra curricular situation as well. Showing the student in different settings is a good way to demonstrate different qualities that would make them a great candidate.
- End your letter once again repeating the students full name, and adding that you feel they would be an asset to the particular school program.
- Don鈥檛 forget to add your contact information and say, 鈥渋f you have any questions about this letter, please feel free to contact me at (either an email or phone number).鈥�
- Then sign the letter with your most official title 鈥淪tarr Sackstein, Nationally Board Certified Teacher, World Journalism Prep School鈥�
- Be honest and authentic. This comes through in the letter if you are genuinely invested in the child. Like I said at the beginning if you don鈥檛 have anything nice to say, you shouldn鈥檛 write the letter.
College recommendations are extremely important for students and they only get up to 3. Sometimes they don鈥檛 make the best choices and a generic letter won鈥檛 help them. If you feel you can鈥檛 write something complimentary, then decline. It鈥檚 better you do that than have to lie or worse, say the truth and hurt the student.
What are your tips for writing great college recommendation letters? Please share