recs for your recs

Q: how important are letters of recommendation? who do i ask?

In a word: VERY.

In more words: Recommendation letters are the main way that admissions officers can gauge both your classroom performance and your individual character. Grades only give the outcome of a course, but these letters show more of the process side: how much you participate, how well prepared you are, how you match up to your classmates, etc. This could be helpful for people whose grades may not necessarily reflect their investment in the work or their personal qualities that aren’t quantifiable in A,B,C,D form. In addition, most rec writers (myself included) add information about the applicant’s character: judgement, decision-making style, motivation, etc. so that readers can get a picture of who the person is on the inside. A student might have a 4.0 but if they are a jerk who doesn’t work well with others, they may not be offered admission.

This last point illustrates exactly why it is important to choose your recommenders wisely. In most secondary schools, you can count on your guidance counselor to write one for you, but check on this if you are not sure. The rest of your recs should come from teachers who know you well and who can write positive things about you. They do not necessarily have to be from a particular subject (unless the school specifies), but it should be from an academic subject (sorry, no gym teachers!). If a teacher has had you in class and is the advisor of a club that you are part of, the are a great choice because they know you across a few realms and can write a lot about character traits.

Be sure to ask the teachers first before committing them to writing letters for you, as some may not have the time. If you are a junior, it may be a good idea to ask now or at the end of this school year, just so that the teacher has a heads up… or can give you a heads up if they can’t write one. When you do get letters, definitely write your teacher a Thank You note for their time and effort. Writing recs takes a lot of energy, so this appreciation should be shown.

essay writing 101

It’s time to come to reality and face a simple truth: your college essay won’t write itself. You might be a smidge freaked out by the fact that you now have to use your brain (since, let’s face it, demographic info doesn’t require too many brain cells), but relax. You’ll be fine. Here are some things to consider.

The big question: “Why do I have to do this??”

Even if the essay or personal statement is optional, it is still a good idea to write one. For one thing, admissions officers like to see that you can write well. The work load in college typically involves a lot of writing, and schools want to admit students who will be able to keep pace. Secondly, the essay allows you to inject your personality into your application. Think about it: The majority of your application consists of demographic information, impersonal numbers, and laundry lists of activities and (hopefully) accomplishments. While these entities provide a glimpse of what you are, there is very little indication of who you are. Writing an essay gives you the chance to actually speak to admissions officers about the person that you are on the inside.

Other things to consider…

Be unique. Admissions officers read 50-100 essays per day, so it is key to make yours stand out… in a good way! Be creative with essay prompts and think outside of the box while answering questions. Use non-academic examples of accomplishments and failures so that the reader(s) can get to know the you outside of school.

Reuse and recycle. If at all possible, use the same one or two essays for every school you apply to. This shouldn’t be too difficult, given that most prompts ask similar questions just in different ways. Reusing entire essays or recycling bits of a few are great ways to save time and reduce stress. When you attach the essay to a specific application, be sure to tweak it enough so that it seems school-specific and that the information is accurate. DO NOT PUT THE WRONG SCHOOL NAME ON THE ESSAY!! This is a sure-fire way to get rejected.

Show, don’t tell. While it is a good idea to tell admissions officers how awesome you are, it is an even better idea to show them. Use specific examples to illustrate whatever point you are trying to make. If you say that you are determined to succeed, write about the steps you took to achieve a major success. It is one thing to talk about it, it is quite another to be about it.

Be honest. Don’t use the essay to just tell the admissions officers what you think they want to hear, because they will be able to see right through it. Stay true to yourself, because that is the person that they want to admit. This doesn’t mean, however, that you should tell a school that they are your safety or that you are only applying because your parents are making you. If you have nothing nice to say about the school, it might be wise to keep the focus of the essay on yourself.

Quality, not quantity. You typically will have about 500 words to work with, so use them wisely. Stay right around the word limit: a lengthy essay may make the reader tune out upon sight, while a too-short essay makes it look like you just don’t care. Also, make sure you use the proper words to accurately convey your message.

Remember your audience. Local colloquialisms, txt msgs abbreviations, and other informal or generational slang are not appropriate to use. The reader most likely will not grasp your meaning, which will hurt your chances of admission. At the same time, however, don’t be too formal or pretentious with your language. (In this instance, a thesaurus may not always be your friend.) Just be yourself and write in your own style.

Three Step Process

Step 1: Brainstorm. Some schools let you write whatever you want. The prompt is usually something like ‘Tell us about yourself.’  If this is the case, you might be stuck on what exactly to say. Below are some ideas to get you started. Pick one of the following, or modify one to create your own! Be sure to pick something that you will be able to write confidently about. • Think about some major non-academic accomplishments and why they are important to you. • Was there ever a difficult time in your life? How did it change your perspective? • How would your friends describe you? • What are your dreams for the future? If nothing stopped you, what would you do? • Why are you interested in this university?

Step 2: Plan. So you’ve got some ideas… what next? After brainstorming, you should have a rough idea of the elements you wish to include in your essay. For the most part, keep it positive and optimistic. If you write about a time where you were less than successful, be sure to include what you learned from the experience and how you grew. Everyone falls, it’s how you get up that makes you special. The key to this essay is to have the reader come away knowing more information about you then when they began. Don’t include information (like your name, high school, GPA, etc.) that the reader can get elsewhere in your application. Use this space for something new and exciting!

Step 3: Write. Writing is a personal process that should be done according to your own specific style. You should leave yourself enough time to work at a comfortable pace. Once you’ve finished a draft, let it marinate. Leave it for a day or two, then come back to it with fresh eyes and change what needs to be changed. Check for key elements such as introduction and conclusion, as well as grammar and spelling errors. It is important to make sure you are both on topic and within the word limit. When you are satisfied, get a second opinion from a trusted source. Listen to their constructive criticism and edit accordingly. Remember: NEVER SUBMIT AN ESSAY WITHOUT LETTING SOMEONE ELSE READ IT!

Good Luck!!

the 411 on the admissions resume

Camille asked: “I was just curious how long should your activity sheet/resume be when applying to schools? I am hearing all sorts of things and how should it really look?”

Thanks for the great question, Camille! For those who don’t know what she’s talking about, here is some background. A college resume is a document that you add to your application that shows admissions officers what you have been up to during your high school career. It should contain information like your extra-curricular activities, any jobs you’ve held, and any honors you’ve received. Be sure to include any leadership positions you’ve held, as these are very attractive to admissions officers. NOTE: If there are places on the application for this information, you might want to think twice about attaching a resume since you don’t want to be redundant.

The format should mimic that of a regular resume:

• First should be your name, home address, phone number, and email address at the top.
• Next you should put down your educational information.
• Below that should be the different sections for your different activities and accomplishments. Whatever information you include should be listed chronologically, starting with the most current.

The length should be about a page, as admissions officers likely won’t look at anything longer. A good idea for writing one is to write down everything that you’ve done, then edit out the things that weren’t that important to you until your resume is a page long. If you have less than a page to begin with, it might be a good idea to leave out the resume, since you don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you didn’t do much out-of-classroom stuff in high school. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, admissions officers may take it to mean that you won’t participate in campus activities if you are accepted, therefore look less favorably on your application.

Here is a sample resume for you to get ideas. It is by no means the only way to do one, so be yourself and get creative!