April 6, 2001, Newsletter Issue #32: Getting Winning Letters of Recommendation

Tip of the Week

Your favorite teacher, counselor, or community contact may think you are wonderful within the arena in which they usually work with you, but being the humble person that you are, they may not be familiar with your many accomplishments in other areas. A recommendation that shows detailed knowledge of you and your abilities in more than one area will be more impressive than one, which illuminates only one of your facets.

Help the person who will write your recommendation by doing two things. First, ask for the recommendation well in advance of the application date. Recommendations requested at the last minute do not give the author enough time to craft a winning recommendation and you will be the loser.

Secondly, supply the person who is to write your recommendation with a list of your many activities and accomplishments, and a copy of your official transcript. Answer any questions they may have about your documentation. Point out on your transcript the upper level classes you have taken, especially those above and beyond the college prep requirements. This is especially important if your school does not have weighted grades and you have persevered through the difficult courses when it would have been easier to enroll in less strenuous courses. When scholarship committees are made aware of your efforts a less than stellar GPA can be balanced by the rigid course of study you chose.

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