College Recommendation Letter Tips for School Counselors

OH MY GOSH! I can't believe Thanksgiving break is coming to an end! It has been an incredibly busy week, but I am really not sure what I have done?! I blinked and is it now Saturday evening-- oh, not to mention that I have not posted on my blog as I have planned. Not only is the blog on to do list, but I also have several requests for recommendation letters that I have put off as well. Do you often find yourself so mentally drained that you often find yourself procrastinating, especially recommendation letters? That is probably a dumb question because recommendation letters are probably one of the most time consuming tasks that we have as school counselors. Several years ago, I wrote a post about writing recommendation letters that convicted me of my ethical responsibility to write a thorough letter of recommendation. Oh, by the way, colleges really do read our letters. The College Board states that a counselor recommendation can make a significant difference when a student has a low score on an admission exam or mediocre grades in college acceptance process. The Independent College Counselors Educational Consultants website states that because school counselors know more about their students in the school setting over an extended period of time, they are competent to make a qualified recommendation. In fact, William Fitzsimmons of Harvard University revealed they often project letters of recommendation for all the committee members to see and read!!

So, do you struggle with writing recommendation letters, like me? Well, I wanted to take some time out of my Saturday evening while the grandkids are watching, Robbie the Rednose Reindeer, to share some of my hard learned insights.

First, let's start with the basics...What is the importance of the recommendation letter, anyway? What is the big deal?

The College Essay Guy makes a great point that recommendation letters can make a difference in college acceptance for a student. He states that some colleges consider a college recommendation letter over class rank or extracurricular activities. In fact, Martin Welsh (Stanford University) shared that a counselor's letter of recommendation kind of gets a "grade" from the college. Yes, even colleges grade our letters by using a rubric. In fact, here is the rubric Welsh shared on the College Essay Guy's website below.

Top few of the recommender’s career; extraordinary performance and impact in the classroom; multiple examples to illustrate an outstanding mind

2
Very strong support; provides clear example(s) of a fine mind; wonderful contributor who elevates discussion with unique insight

3
Strong support; excellent student; frequently adds to discussion

4
Standard positive support with some examples

5
Mixed comments; and/or muted support; and/or absence of examples

6
The recommender doesn’t support the student or writes particularly negative comments

So, how exactly are those letters used by college committees? Recommendations can help a student in each of following areas:

Admission acceptance
Review of provisional students for acceptance
Scholarship offers
Special programs acceptance

Now that we know our letters matter, what should our letters include?

A Counselor Recommendation Letter Should Include:

1. The student's ability and possible fit into the college environment.

2. Any special circumstances that the student has faced (life struggles, move, parent's divorce, illness, etc.).

3. Difficulty of course selection.

4. Anecdotes/special stories.

5. An overview, not a reiteration of the student's transcript.

6. Overview of student activities.

7. Quotes from teachers.

8. Student's future plans.

Since we have large numbers of letters to write, it is easy for the quality of our letters to diminish. Therefore, it is important that we provide appropriate content and keep the interest of our audience. Also, we need to know how to tell our students' stories. While teachers can tell the academic story of a student, our narrative should be about student growth. In addition to addressing growth, school counselors should point out students' strengths and qualities. Examples can include past achievements, potential for growth, and commitment to the school community. Rather than chronologically listing a student's resume (we are all guilty at some point of doing this), highlighting a students involvement in community service, participation in sports, leadership ability, and passion for a particular subject can speak volumes! Another important point that colleges and scholarship committees look for is your relationship with that student. Speaking about a specific anecdote can show the committee that you really know this student. Another point I like to make is use of language. Don't use cliché or pithy language; however, use power words like strong communication skills, empathetic, committed, passionate, and curious. Also, speaking about a student's potential future is important and can include descriptions about a student's past achievement. This can show an admissions committee that they are making a good investment in this student!!

In order to get this information, it is important that we hear from the student and not just from a parent or another teacher. This is where it is really important to have your own college recommendation letter kit. Since, I find myself writing copious numbers of letters for students, I decided to create a kit for my students which I will share with you later in this post. Feel free to go to my store and check it out if you need some pre-made help. Also, I will share some additional resources that may help you improve your recommendation letter skills and create your own kit.

Okay, let's talk about the structure of your letter and how to put it all together.

The Recommendation Letter Structure

1. Keep it to one page!

2. In the introduction, talk about how you are qualified to write this letter and what you know about this student. Writing a catchy opening statement is important in getting the reader's attention.

Here is an example of a catchy opening statement: Buffy, a great student who can do it all!

3. In the body of your letter, tell the student's story. This can include awards, successes, challenges, leadership skills, and service. The Associated College of the Midwest gives some suggestions for your body.

Move from general to specific examples.
Use topic sentences to your points.
Don't reiterate information that is found on the transcript.

Here is a short excerpt from a good recommendation letter from MIT:

Mary has contributed to the school community in a variety of ways, most notably through her participation on the newspaper and yearbook staffs. Frankly, I am impressed with her aggressiveness, creativity, determination and ability to schedule extracurricular activities around a full academic workload. I have never heard Mary complain about her workload or refuse any assignment that she has been given. It is not adequate to say that she accepts responsibility readily. She seeks responsibility. Oh, for more such students!

As business manager for the paper and co-editor of the yearbook the past two years, Mary has done an outstanding job. She personally brought the town's business community from the view that the school newspaper was a charitable organization to the realization that the paper is a direct pipeline through which advertisers can reach students. She also took the initiative to set up the advertising rate schedule for the paper that produced enough revenue to expand coverage from a four-page paper, so that it is an eight-page and often twelve-page paper. Her work as photographer for both publications has been equally outstanding.

Her motivation is not forced upon her, nor does she wear it like a badge. She has tremendous self-discipline. Mary is also a dedicated, versatile and talented student who will be an asset to your undergraduate community. She has my respect and my highest recommendation.

Student Guidelines When Asking for a Letter of Recommendation

It is important that we teach students how how to ask for a letter in the right way.

Rebecca Safier and Big Future give students some tips on how to ask for a recommendation letter.

1. Because educators are inundated with recommendation letter request, ask for letters early (i.e. September).
2. The best way to ask for a recommendation letter is in person. The Ivy Coach says that students need to take time to speak personally to their counselor.
3. Waive your right to view your recommendation letter by signing the FERPA waiver.
4. Make sure your references know your deadlines for letters.
5. Give your teacher/school counselor some information about you in a brag sheet or resume. Here are some examples of recommendation packets, students brag sheets, and parent questionnaires.

I hope this post inspires you to put in your best efforts when writing a student recommendation letter. In the end, your words make a difference!!

College Recommendation Letter Kit