LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION - Eleanor Roosevelt High …



LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FOR COLLEGE

INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES

TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS

Letters of recommendation are an important part of the comprehensive application review process for many colleges and scholarships. Often schools will require a letter from one or two individuals who can speak to your strengths and contributions in the academic setting. Even if letters are only recommended or optional based on the school’s stated policies, I strongly encourage you to include them as part of your application in order to highlight your abilities and accomplishments in the classroom. The only exception to this is CUNY or other institutions which specifically request that you do not send any supplemental materials with your application.

Recommendations should be written by teachers who have taught you in a core subject (math, science, English, history, foreign language) from junior or senior year and who can confidently address your potential to do college-level work. When thinking about whom to use as a reference, consider asking teachers who are able to discuss your work ethic, class participation, creativity, leadership, and/or skills related to an academic setting. More important than asking a teacher merely because you earned an A in class is finding someone who can talk about your strengths and potential for growth. In fact, a recommendation letter may describe your above-and-beyond contribution which may not be reflected in the final grade on the transcript, but it can provide valuable insight as to who you are as a student. Please review p. 36 in the College Planning Guide for more detailed guidelines.

Teachers do not automatically write letters for students so it is your responsibility to ask one or two people whom you would like to serve as references. In addition to requiring that you submit the attached ElRo recommendation request form to them in-person, each teacher may ask for additional information. Teachers may request résumés and some may set a limit on the number they are willing to write each year. It is important that you talk to teachers in the next few weeks so that you can make appropriate arrangements and plan ahead. Asking teachers before the summer helps avoid the time crunch that often occurs in the fall with the pressure of impending deadlines. You do not need to have decided which schools you are applying to before asking for a recommendation. However, once you have narrowed down your list in the fall, you should give the necessary school-specific forms to teachers well in advance of deadlines so that they can complete the materials on time. Teachers will be asked to submit their recommendations directly to the College Office so that the letters can be included in the transcript packet sent to each college to which you apply. Most importantly, do not forget to thank teachers for writing letters on your behalf!

COUNSELOR RECOMMENDATIONS

In addition to academic references, many schools request a counselor letter. Ms. Cohen will collaborate with your advisors and Ms. Greenfield to write recommendations for students who require this type of reference. The purpose of this recommendation is to put your high school experience in context and to give the admissions committee a better sense of who you are beyond the classroom. Any significant grade trends, personal challenges, or outstanding achievements would be beneficial to include so please let Ms. Cohen know if there’s something specific that you would like to incorporate. You do not need to submit an ElRo recommendation request form, but any school-specific counselor or secondary school report forms should be turned in to the College Office with transcript requests in the fall.

SUPPLEMENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Although it is important to get one or two academic references, as colleges will be most interested in getting a sense of who you are in the classroom, it may also be appropriate to get letters from work/volunteer supervisors, club advisors, or coaches who can speak to your significant extra-curricular involvements. Be selective about who you ask as a reference and do not go overboard with recommendations! Submitting more than three or four letters total could hurt your application’s credibility rather than enhance it. If you have any questions about strategy or people to ask, please feel free to discuss it beforehand with Ms. Cohen.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download