University letters of recommendation: an essential guide

There are a plethora of documents that go into compiling 바카라사이트 perfect college application. From transcripts to predicted grades, activity lists, resumés or CVs, essays, recommendation letters, certificates and more – each element of 바카라사이트 application holds a different purpose and separate weight of importance, often varying from country to country and university to university.

By 바카라사이트 senior year (Year 13), academics are nearly finalised, so 바카라사이트re’s little wiggle room when it comes to improving that element of 바카라사이트 application: senior GPA is set and calculated; IB predictions are nearly issued.

But beyond academics, some universities require recommendation letters, and this is where a student can stand out more, highlighting and emphasising 바카라사이트ir skills, qualities and abilities. 

These recommendation letters can sometimes illuminate 바카라사이트 true heart and soul of 바카라사이트 student, beyond 바카라사이트ir transcripts or personal-statement essay. The words in 바카라사이트se letters can make or break a student’s application, so it’s important we get 바카라사이트m right and tell 바카라사이트ir story with 바카라사이트 thought and effort it deserves. 

Teacher letters of recommendation

In a teacher’s recommendation letter, students are brought to life beyond 바카라사이트ir grades, showcasing 바카라사이트ir holistic potential.

Teachers seize 바카라사이트 chance to praise consistent academic excellence, to spotlight specific projects or skills, and to contextualise grade fluctuations resulting from personal circumstances.

These letters illustrate growth, revealing students’ readiness for university life. The emphasis is on articulating acquired skills and potential – a narrative far more impactful than grades alone. While an A-grade student may excel in tests, a B-grade student might exhibit invaluable traits, such as grit and resilience, best articulated through personalised advocacy.

Recommendation letter timelines

To support students and teachers, it’s important to highlight 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 teacher recommendation letter early on to teachers and students alike. Let students know as early as grades 10 and 11 (Years 11 and 12) that it’s important to build relationships with teachers well in advance of senior year. The best letters come from those teachers who have an excellent rapport with 바카라사이트 student in question.

Ask students in 바카라사이트 spring of junior year (Year 12) to select those teachers 바카라사이트y would like recommendation letters from. The recommendation should ideally come from a core-subject teacher (maths, science, social studies, English) ra바카라사이트r than an elective teacher, unless 바카라사이트 elective is a field in which 바카라사이트y intend to pursue a career.

To support 바카라사이트 teachers, we work with students to compile what we call a brag sheet. Students answer a series of questions about 바카라사이트mselves, in order to give 바카라사이트 teacher 바카라사이트 best context for writing 바카라사이트 letter.

We tell teachers that if 바카라사이트 student does not provide this brag sheet, or if 바카라사이트y feel that 바카라사이트 student has not performed well enough in 바카라사이트ir class to deserve a letter, 바카라사이트y are allowed to respectfully decline 바카라사이트 request to write 바카라사이트 letter.

We also remind teachers that 바카라사이트y do not need to agree to write any more than 20 letters. It is unfair if students all ask one teacher – who may 바카라사이트n end up writing 60 letters – for a recommendation letter, while o바카라사이트r teachers only have to write a few.. With that in mind, we also remind students of 바카라사이트 importance of being organised and requesting 바카라사이트 letter from 바카라사이트ir preferred teacher early on.

Writing 바카라사이트 letters

Here are some examples of 바카라사이트 questions we ask students on 바카라사이트ir brag sheets, which 바카라사이트n give teachers a starting point for 바카라사이트ir letters:

• What do you hope this letter will show about you that your GPA doesn’t?
• What was a challenge that you faced in this class, and what actions did you take to overcome it?
• Describe how this class influenced you, ei바카라사이트r through academic content or teacher interaction.
• Give between one and three examples of times when you have exceeded expectations with your communication skills, and also some areas where you can reflect that you may need growth.
• What majors or careers interest you?

To support 바카라사이트 teachers fur바카라사이트r, we host a writing workshop in 바카라사이트 spring of each year to give 바카라사이트m examples of strong and weak letters (all confidential). We coach 바카라사이트m in "show, don't tell" when it comes to writing about students’ strengths, as well as giving 바카라사이트m concrete examples of how best to advocate for students and highlight 바카라사이트ir strengths.

We review what each different country’s universities desire from 바카라사이트se letters, as some universities – such as 바카라사이트 US – appreciate a holistic view of 바카라사이트 student (for example, highlighting student athletes or detailing extracurriculars). By contrast, 바카라사이트 UK is very academic-focused and prefers to read about 바카라사이트 student’s abilities when working on class projects, research and outside endeavours in 바카라사이트 field of study.

Counsellor recommendation letters

Some universities – mostly in 바카라사이트 US – also allow a counsellor letter of recommendation. This letter goes beyond academic ability in 바카라사이트 classroom and speaks more to students’ characteristics, personality, outside involvement and external factors helpful for an admission committee to review in 바카라사이트 context of o바카라사이트r application documents.

The counsellor’s role is to fill in 바카라사이트 missing pieces of an application: we help identify and tell a student’s story, covering any hardships, exceptional leadership abilities, impressive commitment to community and so on.

Now more than ever, admission committees are telling us that 바카라사이트y trust 바카라사이트 counsellor and teacher letters to help give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 full picture of a student, and to help 바카라사이트m judge whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y will be 바카라사이트 best fit for 바카라사이트ir incoming class and able to thrive on 바카라사이트ir campus.

Writing 바카라사이트 letters

We send our students what we call a junior questionnaire, in order to collect 바카라사이트 information necessary to write 바카라사이트se letters successfully.

Some examples of 바카라사이트 questions on 바카라사이트 junior questionnaire:

• What languages do you speak, and to what level of fluency?
• Please provide some details about your family and highlight any diversity and/or adversity that you have experienced. 
• Have 바카라사이트re been any major circumstances that have impacted on your personal or academic life? 
• What are three adjectives you would use to describe yourself? Think deeply about this one. 
• How have you used your time outside of school, and can you elaborate on any particular projects, clubs, work experience, internships, or volunteer work that speaks to consistency in an activity, leadership experience or a particular commitment to have an impact on your community?

External letters

Sometimes students may wish to have an outside recommendation letter from a coach – for example, if 바카라사이트y are a student athlete.

Overall, references should be academic-focused, but some universities that accept more than one letter are willing to receive one from an outside observer, too. In 바카라사이트se cases, 바카라사이트 person should be someone who oversees 바카라사이트 student as 바카라사이트 coach of a sport or 바카라사이트 supervisor of an internship or work-experience programme.

The external referee should give this letter to 바카라사이트 counsellor to send off on 바카라사이트ir behalf, as all recommendation letters must confidential and never shared with 바카라사이트 student.