A high school transcript can help tell an admissions
office a lot about a candidate, but a college recommendation letter provides an
opportunity for them to see the whole person. While recommendation letters are never
a bad idea to include in the application, even if the college does not require
one, many colleges do necessitate the inclusion of one. Here is some advice to
keep in mind when writing a college recommendation letter:
Know the candidate—It
may sound obvious, but it is important that you know the candidate well. After
all, how can you write a college recommendation letter for a someone you know
little about? Recommendations written for candidates with a vague familiarity
are often identifiable and can do more harm than good.
How you know the
candidate—When you write a college recommendation letter, make sure to
include how you know the candidate as well as the length of time you have known
that person.
Provide relevant
information—Be sure to find out the purpose of the recommendation so as to
provide relevant information about the candidate and his or her specific
qualifications. If the recommendation is to supplement an application, discuss
how that person is an appropriate candidate for the college he or she is
applying to. Despite its purpose, however, the overall goal of a college
recommendation letter is to attest to the capabilities and character of the
candidate.
Obtain a resume—Another
tip on how to write a collage recommendation letter is to first obtain the
student’s resume with a listing of his or her GPA, activities, awards,
leadership roles, community service, employment experience and special skills.
The more information you have about a particular candidate, the more
constructive your recommendation can be.
Personalize the
letter—To help make the letter more personal, before writing a college
recommendation letter, it is important to determine the person to whom the
letter should be addressed. If the student is unaware of the name, the letter
may begin “Dear Selection Committee.”
Proofread the
letter—One of the most important tips on how to write a college
recommendation letter is making sure to proofread it when finished. A letter
containing grammatical errors will appear unprofessional and may leave a
negative impression.
Mailing the letter—Establish
with the student whether the recommendation letter must be mailed in an
official envelope from your institution, or if it can be included with the
application. If it is to accompany the application, return the letter to the
candidate in a sealed envelope.
Determine the
deadline—Double-check with the student as to the deadline of the college
recommendation letter. Ideally, you will be given an adequate amount of time to
complete a positive, detailed letter, however, the most important detail is
that it is received before the application deadline.
Save the letter—When
you have finished writing a recommendation, be sure to save it in order to help
make writing the next college recommendation letter easier. The student will
likely be applying to more than one school and may ask that you write a
separate recommendation for each one. Although it is important that each letter
is tailored to the application at hand, select information can be recycled for
multiple letters. It is more convenient to tailor the original passage than to
repetitively recollect the advice on how to write a college recommendation.
What Colleges Really Want
Colleges place a large emphasis on a student’s academic
ability because what is accomplished in high school is the strongest predictor
of their academic success in college. What colleges really want, however, is a
win-win situation. They want to admit students who will thrive at their
institution, not only for the student’s benefit, but for their own as well. As
more and more students become college-bound, colleges and universities will
become increasingly selective, placing more emphasis on the ability to know how
to write a college recommendation letter.
As a teacher, counselor, employer or personal
acquaintance of a college-bound teen, you may at some point receive a request
for help in writing a college recommendation letter. These students are not
only placing their trust in you, they are putting you in the unique position to
make an impact on whether or not they are admitted to their college of choice.
Following this advice on how to write a college recommendation will help to
ensure a professional letter and give your candidate a greater likelihood of
being accepted into his or her college of choice.
